By William Felt

I usually finish in the office at 6.30; in time to catch the sports news at 6.40 on TV. This is especially important during the All Black season and more so during a “World Cup”. Seeing what our team is up to in the hours before a game is important for me. Imagine my surprise and disappointment when last night instead of the sports news, I got an article about the manager of the Canadian rugby team – who was a woman!

So what?

There is no reason why a woman can’t do that job. There are no disadvantages that women have for that role. To point out such a fact as the leading sports article on a game day of a World Cup match is virtue signalling. It has as much relevance as pointing out that Steve Hansen is the coach of the All Blacks despite his mother’s maiden name beginning with a “T” or ‘Fozzie’ being deputy coach despite having curly hair.

The sooner TV-land and (some) women understand that women can achieve things, not because they are women, but because they are people of no specific gender, sex, race, religion, etc, the better. Let our young women be aspirational, not victims of identity politics!

If anyone wants to go and tell Judith Collins that she got her job not due to merit but because she is a woman, let me know and I will watch the fireworks!

Of course, the problem we have in New Zealand is that our PTPM got her job because she was a woman. All those silly people voted for her because it was ‘time for a woman’, ‘women can do anything’, ‘male patriarchy must stop!’, ‘stale pale old male out!’, ‘diversity is a strength’. Now sit back and watch what she has done to New Zealand. Her leadership (lack of) is tearing this place apart. She is humiliating us on the international stage.

If the Labour COL under Jacinda Ardern were a rugby team, they would be the Canadian team. They have a female leader, they dress in red and they play on the big stage. But look at their results. Zip, nada, none, zero points Wednesday night! Not even the crowd were supporting the Canadians even though they were heavy underdogs (supporting the underdogs being a World Cup tradition). They can walk off the stage and say that they had a bi-lateral with the ABs and the future is bright, but they scored no points and conceded lots and lots – 63, nine tries, all converted.

Now, what sort of team do we want our Government to be? Professional, smart, skilled, humble, ready for the task, experienced, admired, respected, honoured, team players, with an eye to the past and to the future, cool, leaders. The rugby team our Government should be is – the All Blacks! 63-0!

So TV-land, next time it is a game day, lead the sports news with an article about the All Blacks and how their qualities can be admired not only on the sports field, but in other endeavors, such as leadership and politics! They can be admired by our young people and those not so young, male and female. Give the virtue signaling a rest while I am focused on the World Cup!

Rant over!

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