WRU break new ground as women get professional contracts

THE Welsh Rugby Union has announced that Wales Women will be offered contracts for the first time in its history.

A deal has been struck with the current playing group which will see 10 professional contracts and up to 15 retainer contracts signed, which will come into effect on January 1, 2022.

The 12-month contracts are currently being drawn up and will include a set of performance criteria and standards which players will be expected to meet.

As well as the news on contracts, the WRU says there will now also be match and training fees for Wales Women.

The deals will be offered to players who the coaching staff feel “have the most potential to be as competitive as possible at next year’s Rugby World Cup,” according to WRU performance director Nigel Walker.

“As players, we feel this is the best model for us at this stage,” Wales captain Siwan Lillicrap said. “It’s a structure that gives us an opportunity to prepare for the World Cup in a better place.

“It will allow some of our players to commit to being professional athletes and also take charge of certain tasks on behalf of the team, for example around analysis, and others to make decisions around their personal circumstances that will allow them to train and recover in a more manageable way so that we can make strides forward as a group.”

Explaining the tangible impact of the contracts, head coach Ioan Cunningham said: “We will be able to go from catching up with players at weekend training camps and one midweek session to training up to four times a week.

“We will be able to develop individual performance plans for the players to manage and maximise their potential.”

The WRU are also pledging “significant” investment in facilities and staff.

They plan to make further appointments to the management group around “performance lifestyle advice, psychology and other sciences”.