BY JOHN DAVIDSON
England outside back Georgie Dagger has slammed online abuse the Lionesses have faced since they were smashed by Australia and questioned the direction of the women’s game.
England were whipped 90-4 by the Jillaroos in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Dagger posted on Instagram last night: “Let’s address the elephant in the room. We weren’t ready.
“We worked so hard, made countless sacrifices, missed out on time with our kids, partners and families. We worked hard with our respective clubs putting in countless hours around working fulltime.
“Getting up early to train before work, training late after work, paying out of our own pockets to access additional recovery, supplements, diet plans, additional coaching etc. But it wasn’t enough.
“As a playing group we take accountability for the errors on the field, but who takes accountability for the growth of the women’s game in England?
“We did the best with what we had and we are under no illusion that our best was far from good enough.
“The comments on social media are absolutely disgusting. Making false accusations and excuses as to why we lost, picking fault with players appearances, questioning their commitment and just and just being down right disrespectful.
“These words hurt, and funnily enough the vast majority are written by men – who have probably never had to experience the obstacles that we face every single day as women in sport.
“We wish that the outcome was different, but this is the reality of the gap between WSL and NRLW. The only way that this gap will ever close, is if major changes are made to pave the way for a future EnglandRL.
“In a world where you can be anything, please just be kind.”
Image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix
