Cunningham pens long-term Wales contract
WALES Women head coach Ioan Cunningham has signed a longterm contract to stay on for the Rugby World Cup in 2025 as more professional players have been added to the ranks.
The Welsh Rugby Union has announced that the number of players on full-time professional contracts has more than doubled to boost preparations for this autumn’s global showpiece tournament in New Zealand, which has been delayed 12 months due to Covid. Including the dozen women who turned professional for Wales in January, Wales now has 31 players on WRU contracts: 29 full-time and two part-time in total.
Wales’ World Cup campaign kicks off against Scotland on October 9, and they will also face hosts New Zealand and Australia in Pool A. Cunningham’s side will go into the tournament on the back of their best Six Nations campaign since 2009, after finishing third in this year’s championship.
Seventeen new fulltime deals have been awarded, lasting six months from July to the end of December to take in the World Cup. Eleven of those are for players who have upgraded after previously being handed semi-professional/ retainer deals earlier this year: Gwen Crabb, Georgia Evans, Kat Evans, Lleucu George, Cerys Hale, Kelsey Jones, Kerin Lake, Bethan Lewis, Caitlin Lewis, Kayleigh Powell, Niamh Terry and Sisilia Tuipulotu.
Five more players have been awarded their first contracts to go full-time - flanker Alex Callender, props Cara Hope and Caryl Thomas, centre Meg
Webb and uncapped lock Liliana Podpadec while outside-half Robyn Wilkins has taken up a retainer contract alongside her teaching job.
WRU performance director Nigel Walker said: “It’s an exciting time for professional women’s rugby in Wales. The initial investment of contracts made an immediate difference to the standards and results of the side in the TikTok Women’s Six Nations and this further investment in players and staff will help to give Wales the best chance of performing with distinction at the forthcoming Rugby World Cup.
“I’m delighted Ioan has committed to the programme until at least the next Rugby World Cup. He has been central to the success so far, he is highly regarded by both the players and management team and has a vision which we as a Union are more than happy to invest in. It’s vital the players and staff have a robust support system to ensure they are in the best shape physically and mentally for Rugby World Cup and the investment in additional staff is key to this.”
Wales boss Cunningham added: “First things first, I’m delighted with this latest investment in players and staff which will give the players the best opportunity to succeed in October. We are competing against other nations across the world, who are continually raising the bar themselves so it’s vital to keep improving to have a chance of getting ahead of that progression curve.
“It’s been great to speak to the players during this process and hear their passion and drive to achieve as players.”