The Bishop of Crediton, the Rt Rev Moira Astin, talking about the Women’s Rugby World Cup coming to Exeter, video Exeter Diocese, Alan Quick

Transcript

00:00How do you feel about what's happening here today?

00:03Morassin, Bishop of Crediton, and I'm really excited that Exeter's managed to have an opening game of the World Cup here.

00:14It's the French and Italians. It'll be interesting to see how the Italians manage against the French.

00:18They're usually a great team, but it's so exciting to have this here.

00:23And how do you feel as a female bishop welcoming women's teams from France and Italy and also hosting today the Exeter Chief women's team?

00:32Oh, it's been lovely to meet the Exeter Chief and the other women's teams who are here.

00:36And it's good to hear that they're now really settled as teams.

00:40And when I was in my teens and 20s, the idea of playing rugby was no one could even contemplate women would be allowed to do that.

00:47And it's so wonderful to see women fulfilling their potential in that game as well as others.

00:53And do you think women's sport is now becoming more embedded?

00:56We've just had the Euros, obviously the Lownesses doing brilliantly, and we hope the same for women's rugby as well.

01:04Yeah, seeing really high-quality players.

01:08I think we're finding those who thought, oh, well, the women won't be as good because they're not as big and strong,

01:12are eating their words because the women often, they may not be as big and strong as the men,

01:18but they can play against each other really well in a really competitive games.

01:23So it's good it's embedding it.

01:24And it's good that girls are getting to see that sport is for them.

01:30You're holding that rugby ball fairly confidently.

01:32Do you fancy having a crack at rugby yourself now?

01:34I would have loved to, but I suspect at my age I'm a little bit beyond it.

01:39But I'm pleased that the next generation of women are all having the chance to play the games they want to play,

01:46rather than the ones that other people think they ought to play.

01:49Brilliant, thank you.