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Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 09:56:07 +0000
From: Raf Freire <Raf.Freire@Bristol.ac.uk>
Reply-To: Raf.Freire@Bristol.ac.uk
Subject: women's division-a rethink?
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The issue of a women's divisions and tournaments seems to be on many peoples
mind at the momment. One stumbling block seems to be that we don't know how
many women will participate in a division of their own in preference to the
open division. I think we have been approaching the issue from the wrong
direction (i.e. the players) and that we should turn the whole thing on its
head.

I think a women's division should be provided at all levels of domestic
tournaments (tour, individual tournaments, nationals, open, indoors). If not
enough women's team enter to hold a meaningful competition, then the places
should be given to open teams. This might sound like a logistical nightmare
for the BUF and TD's, but entry deadlines, reserve lists etc are already used
in tournaments to facilitate this.

so why? It's down to money (equality too but that's a grey area). Sooner or
later in our quest for serious financial support we are going to be asked
about what facilities we make for women (cf cricket board). (I'm slightly
directing this at the BUF's new sports council recognition appointee (sorry
Mark(?) honeymoon's over) and the public thingy post). What are we going to
say? that the open division is open to women? sure it is, but all
international tournaments have a womens division and women didn't feature in
great numbers in the top teams in leicester (top mixed team was headrush?). I
don't think it'll wash.

Alternatively, we could say that we are the only country in the world that
provides equal opportunities for competition within an open and womens
division. What I know of politicians and civil servants is that they'll
happily fling money at anything that is standard setting.

In short, I think we should set an international standard.

Rafi (22)