Bath having 'productive' talks with PWR about joining competition

Bath Rugby’s chief executive has confirmed that the club are having “productive” talks with Premiership Women’s Rugby about joining the league.

In 2021 the Gallagher PREM side partnered with Bath Ladies with the end goal of establishing a professional women’s team. Two years ago, ahead of the league’s rebrand, the Somerset side were unsuccessful in their application to join the competition at the tender stage.

Currently PWR have ruled out expansion until at least the end of the 2026/27 season, although it has not been decided whether new clubs will join the league after that point.

“The conversations that we’re having with the PWR now are much more collaborative in nature, being able to take a longer term view to plan for that entry in the future in a way that means we can build a player performance pathway,” Tarquin McDonald, Bath Rugby’s chief executive, told BBC Sport.

“Also having that commercial runway so we can enter in a sustainable way. What’s really good is that those relationships and conversations with PWR are very productive.”

In the interview McDonald suggested that Bath Ladies need to grow their income “significantly” with a PWR club bringing with it operating costs between £1m and £1.5m.

Bath’s men’s outfit are currently riding the high of their league title last season and the news that the redevelopment of their stadium has been approved.

“We are willing to work collaboratively with all stakeholders to that end,” Genevieve Shore, executive chair of PWR, said.

“Bath Rugby are incredibly committed to their women’s programme, and it’s exciting that a club as prestigious as Bath is interested in joining the PWR.”

Currently Bath Ladies first XV compete in Championship 1 South in the highest division of amateur women’s rugby in England.

Over the past four years Bath Rugby and Bath Ladies have established the Elite Women’s Rugby Academy programme with Bath College focused on the development of 16 to 19 year old players.

Using Bath Rugby’s pre-existing relationships with the University of Bath, the team have also had access to the best high performance facilities in the region.

The added funding has seen Bath Ladies’ participation levels grow and standards increase at the club who train twice a week.

“The investment that we’ve put into Bath Ladies means that those players are able to develop, and it means that we’re giving them a taste of what PWR rugby would look like,” Maria Crowfoot-Riggs, Bath Rugby Ladies Head Coach, said.

“Around strength and conditioning, the analysis the medical support that we have, training at facilities like this at the university – they get gym access beforehand and now on an all-weather pitch we can train all year round.”