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'A significant development': Enhanced England contracts agreed

By PA
(Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

New contracts have been announced for the England senior women players that will incorporate the 2025 World Cup on home soil. The three-season deals that run to 2026 will see 32 contracts awarded – two more than last season – in addition to six transition contracts.

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Contracted Red Roses players, whose names will be confirmed next month, have been chosen by incoming Red Roses head coach John Mitchell, his coaching staff, RFU executive director of performance Conor O’Shea and head of women’s performance Charlie Hayter.

In addition to an increased number and length of contracts, there are significant enhancements covering areas such as salary, match fees, 2025 Rugby World Cup arrangements and commercial and community engagements, the RFU and Rugby Players’ Association (RPA) said.

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There is also an agreement around revenue sharing if business targets are exceeded. “The new contracts are a significant development and a mark of the advancement in the women’s game since they were first awarded,” O’Shea said.

“We have led the way with the introduction of contracts, as well as provisions such as the ground-breaking maternity policy introduced earlier this year for our female athletes.”

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RPA general secretary Christian Day added: “As the world’s number one-ranked women’s team, the Red Roses have long been trendsetters in terms of both on-field performance and the off-field support made available to players.

“To maintain this position, and indeed to continue to grow the gap as other nations seek to level up, it was vital that the players’ contracts would be advanced at a time of unprecedented growth and opportunity for women’s rugby.”

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1 Comment
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simon 525 days ago

So I’m assuming England centrally contract the women as there’s no money in the women’s game? Time they did the same in the men’s

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H
Hellhound 22 minutes ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

You forget that this was the 3rd Test between the AB's and the English this year. They were prepared and they knew how to keep NZ quiet. The Boks is not NZ.


The Boks is a whole other level. You overestimate England and underestimate the Boks. Clearly you haven't really looked at the teams. Besides the Irish games earlier this year, the Boks have mainly used experimental sides, even against the AB's.


Now they have chosen their best team available. They have targeted this game. The Boks mean business. Man for man, this Bok team is better. In strategy and player abilities there is no comparison and they are outmatched.


There isn't just monster strength, but unreal speed. In broken play there is currently no better team as well as defensively, not to even talk about the attacking threat, both from front and the back.


I'd say read between the lines, see what everyone is seeing, but clearly you are wearing blinders and is also putting too much emphasis on an AB's team the Boks beat twice this year, the same AB's that beaten England 3 times this year.


When Rassie gets serious, the players become machines. There is no stopping them. That bench is loaded with players that is fast, strong and have exceptional skills. This is a team not many teams will face before the 2027 WC, because the Boks doesn't use their best between WC's in one game. All experimental.


You will be proven wrong on Saturday and then you will wonder how you could have been so wrong. This Bok team means serious business. They came to conquer and not just by a close score. They want to demolish and they will. This England team at most is a 60 min team. Against the Boks that just won't cut it

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H
Hellhound 38 minutes ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

Not bizarre, but needed. Everyone usually lifts their game against the Boks. Now instead of facing reality, they prefer to live in the past and look hopefully toward the score of the WC semi, hoping they can recreate that result and by some miracle snatch a victory.


It's better than the alternative knowing what is going to happen. Especially looking at the experimental squads the Boks put up against the Wallabies in the RC, not using their best team. That same Wallabies beat them last week.


Now the Boks isn't using an experimental squad. They put out as close to the strongest team the Boks have available at the moment. That must scare the pants off of them. If an experimental squad can destroy the Wallabies, what would the strongest team be able to do to the English?


Instead of sinking into dispear, they prefer to hope that their players can match the Boks. Even though they know what is coming. The English are scared and they won't show it.


Now imagine how Wales must feel knowing they are up next weekend? They don't even have the dubious record of at least close losses like the English. It's a complete nightmare for these 2 countries and rightly so.


The Boks usually take the pedal of the medal post WC's, but not this Bok team. They are better than the WC winning Boks of both '19 and '23. They are stronger up front. They are faster at the back. They can hit front and back. In broken play they are the most dangerous team. They have the best defence and attack also scoring the most tries.


In a way I feel sorry for both the English and Wales. Only those with blinders on expects a close game. Looking at both teams man to man, strategy to strategy, play to play, they are so outmatched it would be a joke if it wasn't so serious. We need the NH to be strong and we need the gap to become closer in rugby so the game stay exciting because runaway scores sometimes is fun, but it doesn't bring as much joy as a close game won.

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