England Women's rugby players transitioned from full-time contracts to part-time deals last year.GETTY IMAGES
The England women’s rugby team has "reached such a crisis point" in its negotiations with the Rugby Football Union over turning professional that the players are "considering refusing to sign contracts for the new season," according to Owen Slot of the LONDON TIMES. With the start of the season a month away, and no contracts yet forthcoming, "some players do not know whether to continue with their jobs or if they are going to become full-time professionals." A year ago, the England players were "moved from full-time professional contracts to part-time." They were told that the Elite Player Squad part-time contracts, in their present form, would be for one season. The sevens squad is fully professional. All this comes at a time when the RFU is "dealing with a budget overspend and is planning 60 redundancies." An investigation revealed the players said that when they were given their EPS part-time contracts last season, "they were shut in a room at their training camp and told that they would not be allowed out until they had signed them." They were also informed last season that if they "could not get time off work for training, it would not affect selection yet they claim that this promise was not upheld" (LONDON TIMES, 8/2).
