The new contracts will go into effect on Jan. 1. GETTY IMAGES
The Rugby Football Union "moved to avert a strike threat from its leading female players" by awarding 28 central contracts that will allow the women's test squad to turn "fully professional," according to Alex Lowe of the LONDON TIMES. The new deals will "come into force" on Jan. 1, although England's autumn internationals will be played under the present part-time contract agreement for which they are paid £900 ($1,180) per match. The RFU "scrapped" central contracts for the England women's test squad after the side reached the 2017 World Cup final "to focus its resources on sevens, a decision which drew criticism from MPs." The players were told the part-time deals "would last for only one year but with no full-time contracts on the table as the new season began," the RFU was "facing the prospect of an embarrassing player revolt." The "pressure on players to juggle work with playing for England had became intolerable." A source said, "It mentally and physically broke a lot of players. It pushed them to the edge." The RFU board approved the contracts at last Wednesday's meeting (LONDON TIMES, 9/17). REUTERS' Alan Baldwin reported all England players will be eligible to play for their clubs in the women's Premiership, returning to the RFU for national duties, with the squad based at Bisham Abbey. The RFU said that it is "planning to double the number of female rugby players" by '21, increase the number of women's teams by more than 75% to 800 "and get more women involved in coaching and officiating." RFU CEO Steve Brown said, "We are at a tipping point for women's rugby globally and it is our ambition to be world number one and drive growth at every level" (REUTERS, 9/17). In London, Samuel Lovett reported an RFU statement said that the new contracts will "drive standards in the game" at domestic and int'l level. RFU Dir of Professional Rugby Nigel Melville said, "Full-time contracts are a big step in ensuring we have the access to players to develop them and fulfill their potential" (INDEPENDENT, 9/17).
