This weekend when 50,000 fans flood into Twickenham Stadium’s famous bowl to watch England’s Red Roses take on Ireland in the Women’s Six Nations it’ll be another achievement for the women’s game.
Because gone are the days of celebrating filling a single stand for the women’s game in England, and gone are the days of conservatively picking stadiums to host the Red Roses.
The expectations are now through the roof.
Which is why this weekend if up to 10,000 fewer attend the big event at the home of English rugby versus the record 58,000 that rocked up to see the Red Roses secure the Grand Slam last year, it will not be a failure on the part of the home side – but the lack of expectation on the opponents.
Ireland were superb in their victory over Wales in round three, but they’re not expected to come close to the Red Roses machine this weekend.
So you can understand why some fans are swerving this match when against France they felt like they had to be there.
It is no stain on women’s sport, but a telling opinion on the state of competitiveness in the Six Nations at the moment.
But after a world record attendance versus France last year and a respectable backing up this term, the real testing ground will be this autumn.
Because the Red Roses will take on the Black Ferns at Twickenham.
Internal rugby voices say the target is to sell out the 82,000 national stadium for next year’s World Cup final. But to show progress and reinforce that target, the Rugby Football Union will want that, thus far, elusive third tier open for the welcoming of New Zealand.
It is difficult, practically impossible, to rain on what the Red Roses have built across the last decade: they have driven the game forward at such a pace that they’re forcing other unions to catch up – or at least attempt to.
But that means they’re also judged to exceptional circumstances. While Scotland can celebrate 7,500 fans watching them in round three and Wales can wax lyrical about selling out Cardiff Arms Park, anything below 15,000 for the Red Roses is deemed poor. And that’s great.
But it also means that they’ve put the pressure on themselves to keep breaking that record and setting the standard.
It might not happen this spring. But the arrival of New Zealand in the autumn might be the genuine breakthrough point for this England team, the next step on their continual quest to get better and stronger.
Chapeau to that!