England women rugby players to have their contracts renewed by RFU
Plan to restore deals in time for 2021 World Cup Ambition is to support sevens and XVS squads
The Rugby Football Union has performed a dramatic about-turn and is planning to reinstate contracts for women’s XVS players, The Daily
Telegraph can reveal.
The RFU’S initial decision not to renew contracts for the national squad was widely denounced, not least because it was announced in the build-up to last year’s Women’s World Cup in August. It meant players prepared for the competition knowing they would be without a job at the end of it.
Three MPS led the criticism of the move at the time, with Tonia Antoniazzi, a former Wales international, describing it as a “huge blow” to the women’s game. England ultimately lost to New Zealand in the final.
A record television audience of 2.65million tuned in to watch that match, which was broadcast in the prime-time Saturday evening slot on ITV. Combined with a revamped domestic women’s competition – the Tyrrells Premier15s, which Saracens won last weekend – this seemed to have acted as the catalyst for the RFU to review that decision.
“We are working towards contracts and the aspiration is that we will have it leading into the next World Cup [in 2021],” Nicky Ponsford, the RFU head of women’s performance, told The Telegraph.
“How quickly it happens before then, we just have to wait and see, but I believe the success of the league will help us drive things forward. The more we can promote, grow and develop the XVS game, all makes the argument stronger for moving in the direction [of contracts].”
The RFU has invested £2.4million in the Premier15s for its first three seasons and Ponsford believes that having a strong club framework in place is key to supporting players when contracts are reintroduced.
She said: “We knew the last contracts were leading into the World Cup but we also knew the next step was to make sure the domestic competition was stronger, so when we get to the point when we get contracts again, the clubs can support those players and it will push them and develop them. What we want is for players to be in their clubs and develop in their clubs.”
When the RFU initially announced that the contracts would not be renewed, the governing body justified the move by saying they were focusing on sevens ahead of two major tournaments this year – the Commonwealth Games, where England Women won bronze, and the Rugby World Cup.
There are 21 female players currently contracted to the sevens programme, including some on university contracts. There were 32 players on specialist XVS contracts last year with another 16 on sevens contracts. Some players, such as Emily Scarratt and Natasha Hunt, transferred from XVS to sevens contracts after the World Cup.
The RFU introduced match appearance and training fees ahead of England’s three-test series against Canada last November, but the prospect of contracts being reinstated would be transformative for several players who have had to find alternative work to supplement their rugby incomes.
It means players such as fly-half Katy Daley-mclean must balance employment around international windows. Daley-mclean, who captained England to World Cup glory in 2014, was awarded a sevens contract and gave up her day job as a primary schoolteacher. She now fits supply teaching around training and playing for England.
Another 2014 World Cup winner, openside flanker Marlie Packer, who was player of the match in the Premier15s final, had both sevens and XVS professional contracts and returned to work as a plumber after her XVS contract was not renewed.
An RFU spokeswoman said: “Our ambition is to be able to support contracts for both a women’s sevens and a women’s XVS squad. This is something we are working towards in the future, but there are no firm timelines for it yet.”