Finally! Scots women will be handed pro contracts
++ 30 players will get professional deals after this year’s World Cup ++ SRU funding to increase from £1.6m per year to £4.1m ++
SCOTLAND’S top female rugby players will be rewarded with professional contracts after the World Cup later this year as part of ambitious new plans from the SRU.
A minimum of 30 players will be handed contracts, with the governing body also announcing that funding for the women’s game is to increase from £1.6million to £4.1m for next year.
The four-year strategy also aims to create two semi-pro teams in Scotland who would compete in cross-border competitions against teams from around the UK and Europe.
The SRU are also looking for the national team to earn a top-four finish by the 2024 Six Nations, earn a top-eight finish at the 2025 World Cup and want to see attendances at national team games increase to 7,000 by 2026.
The current set-up with the national team will see players given support packages tailored to their individual circumstances as they approach the World Cup later this year.
Bryan Easson’s side will also train together full-time for 11 weeks in the build-up to the tournament, thanks to the significant increase in funding from the SRU.
The contracts, which will be handed out after the World Cup, will allow for similar flexibility in how players balance rugby with their personal commitments.
But the financial support offered will allow players to focus more on playing the sport and is a huge step forward towards making the women’s national team fully professional.
The move comes as the SRU look to capitalise on the surge in participation levels of women playing rugby following the pandemic.
Gemma Fay, the former Scotland footballer who is now head of women and girls’ strategy at the SRU, expressed her delight at the new plans.
‘This is an extremely exciting time to be involved in women and girl’s rugby,’ said the former Scotland goalkeeper. ‘I feel privileged to have been able to work with a fantastic group of people, within Scottish rugby and within rugby in Scotland, who are equally excited by the opportunities in front of us.
‘This strategy will enable us to channel the passion, enthusiasm and interest that there is for the game within Scotland and ultimately grow the sport.
‘We will focus on connecting all aspects of what it takes to develop a sustainable, thriving game to ensure that we support our clubs to build capacity, establish a clear pathway for our players and people and ensure Scotland Women are supported to be successful on the international stage.
‘Rugby is a game for all and it is important that we provide a pathway that is for all, whether that is in a Scotland shirt or simply to have an enjoyable experience on and off the field at their respective level. We want to harness the current momentum we have seen post-pandemic in the women’s game and create long lasting, transformational change, allowing women and girl’s rugby to define its own unique identity within the rugby landscape in Scotland.
‘I’d like to thank everyone involved in women and girl’s rugby in Scotland who contributed to the consultation period which gave us an excellent insight into the direction of travel the strategy should take and many creative and innovative ideas to be developed.’
In terms of the amount of money the top Scottish players could earn post-World Cup, Fay added: ‘We’ve spoken to the players about this and we said to them within the next couple of months, before we go to the World Cup, we’ll discuss what that (contracts and salaries) looks like.
‘What we have done is a benchmarking exercise behind the scenes around about what other unions are looking to do or are doing and what UK Sport is doing in terms of what they pay (athletes). I would say we’re competitive with that.’
Asked why now is the right time for Scottish Rugby to take its biggest-ever leap in terms of professionalism in the women’s game, Fay said: ‘Firstly, I think the English FA have done a lot for women’s sport in general.
‘That has taken significant investment over a long period of time to get football to that point. When I was playing football, they had just launched central contracts for England (and things have built from there).
‘Part of the hard work has been done by some sports who had the resources and the foresight. That has opened the door for more sports to do that (invest more money).
‘Secondly, in an age of social media, movements can be started overnight, and the ones that really strike a chord with people in society stick. And I think women’s sport, because of the quality of what we can see on TV, has stuck. The fact that governing bodies have opened up and said: “There’s an entire 50 per cent of the population there that we know are good for our sport if they come in”.
‘People are enthused about women’s sport and it’s different from the male game. We need to manage professionalisation carefully, but now is the time to make this move.’
SRU chief executive Mark Dodson said: ‘Scotland led the way in terms of women in leadership positions when Dee Bradbury became the first female president of a tier one nation in 2018.
‘We are fully committed to this important strategy. As a core pillar of our business strategy, the breadth and depth of our ambition to grow the women and girls’ game is evident and I believe there are exciting times ahead for our sport in this area.’