Price was writing about children's sport and how it is changing and how it must change. Price was writing about Roger Rasheed, the tennis coach who took Lleyton Hewitt to world No 1, and his daughter India, who couldn't get a tennis match one Saturday morning because the parent of her opponent, who was a boy, didn't want her son playing against a girl.

Can you believe this twat of a parent? Her decision was the wrong one. Her son got a lesson, just not the one she thought he might get. Rasheed's reaction to the whole thing should be noted. It appears he just wanted to see his daughter play tennis. Good on him. That's what all good sports parents want. To see their kids play.

Price went on to argue that there was no need to separate boys and girls in junior sport. She cited experts who said there was no need because boys aren't bigger or stronger until puberty hits and even then about one in 20 girls could still compete alongside the boys and win. Yes, yes. I agree with everything to this point.

But then what happens? When a girl turns 13 and can no longer play with the boys. Nothing if she's decided to play a sport such as netball or hockey or soccer where there is the critical mass of girls to allow for girls' competitions to continue.

But what happens if she has fallen in love with rugby union, or rugby league? (And I'm sure there are a few other sports that fit this category too.)

At present, here in Canberra, girls can play these sports until under 12s. And then their pathway varies.

If they are playing rugby league they cannot start tackling again until they are over 18, in the open's competition. The Canberra Region and Community Rugby League recognises this is not ideal. General manager Mark Vergano, the former Cricket ACT boss who did such wonderful things with the ACT women's cricket team, the Meteors, realises rugby league needs to do more to keep girls involved in the sport. One of his primary goals is to build pathways for girls to stay with rugby league. I'm confident he'll do it.

I joke with him, "or they'll go to rugby union". And he agrees. Thank you Charlotte Caslick.

Over at the Brumbies community rugby manager Craig Leseberg knows they're on to a good thing. Just recently they ran a Super 7s women's competition over four rounds, in under 14s, 16s and open divisions and more than 300 players competed. Rugby too, is doing all it can to keep girls involved in their sport.

Both codes should be applauded for recognising that keeping girls and women involved in traditional male sports is an important thing.

So the whole point of this is, and I always get there eventually, is that we should actually be more concerned about how we can keep girls playing sport, period. How can we find a place for girls of all ages and abilities to work up a sweat. Research shows that the involvement of girls in physical activity drops off sharply in the early teenage years and that is a major concern. The benefits of physical activity, and dare I throw it out there, (and never accuse me of throwing like a girl) organised sport, are vital.

Let's not spend too much time thinking about whether they're playing with boys or against boys. Let's just get girls playing. And keep them playing.