England's women's rugby players secured a pay deal with the Rugby Football Union before the autumn internationals, according to Chris Jones of the BBC. For the first time, the RFU will pay a match fee, while all players in the elite player squad will receive a "squad training fee." The figures are confidential, but a player involved in all matches will reportedly make between £4,000 ($5,300) and £5,000 ($6,600) in total this autumn. While the women's XV-a-side contracts were "controversially not renewed following the Rugby World Cup," it is "hoped the new payment plan will represent a milestone in the women's game." Under the terms of the new deal, the women's players will not be salaried employees of the RFU, but will be paid "when on England duty" in the autumn, Six Nations and summer tour. The match fee for the women's players is "vastly lower than that received by their male counterparts, which can be explained by a variety of factors such as attendances and commercial reach." England's men have "collectively licensed their image rights because of commercial demand," which is not the case with the women. However, it is believed the RFU is "considering introducing a rate card for commercial appearances for the women's players," which would be separate from training and match fees, although that will not come into play this autumn (BBC, 11/15).
