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Premier 15s salary cap increase tipping women's rugby towards becoming fully professional
This week, the RFU agreed to double the amount that clubs can spend on players in the Premier 15s. Originally, the salary cap was £60,000 but it has been extended in principle to £120,000 following increasing pressure from clubs. Many clubs agreed that the £60,000 limit, which is due to come into place in the 2020-2021 season, was insufficient to encourage a talented and competitive league. It shows the growing investment in the women’s game, and hints at the slow movement towards a fully-professional league.
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The investment means the Premier 15s has become a hub of talent for women’s rugby worldwide. Exeter Chiefs boast USA captain Jennine Duncan and her teammates Gabby Cantorna and Kate Zackary, Netherlands captain Linde Van Der Velden, Japan prop Sachiko Kato, and a number of Canadian players. While Exeter has many international stars, many Premier 15s clubs also pinch some of the best players from the other Home Nations. That’s because Ireland, Scotland and Wales don’t have leagues of the same standard as the Premier 15s. The English league is without a doubt the most competitive, so many players choose to play their club rugby in England.
I recently spoke to Wales Women skills coach Rachel Taylor, who said that the move by many of the Welsh squad to Premier 15s clubs had been a positive step for the Welsh women. “It gives the players a chance to train and play against international players week in week out,” the former Wales captain says. “It can only be a good thing for the girls, who then bring that experience back into Wales camp.”
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— Premiership Women's Rugby (@ThePWR) February 15, 2021
The diverse international talent in the Premier 15s means the rugby is better and makes the international game more interesting, at least between the Home Nations who now all benefit from the Premier 15s. The Exeter v Saracens thriller of a match a few weeks ago was watched by almost 125,000 viewers via social media, YouTube, or on the Premier 15s website.
The record-breaking viewing figures this season have led the RFU to ‘ramp up’ their efforts to secure a broadcaster for the Premier 15s, according to David Parsley at inews.
This is great news, because as David points out, it will be a cheap opportunity for the likes of BBC, ITV or Channel 4 to compete with Amazon Prime, Sky Sports, and BT Sports. The price of the women’s tournament will be significantly cheaper than any of the men’s leagues, yet it is becoming a popular and exciting tournament for all rugby fans.
As I keep saying, the Rugby World Cup this year will do wonders to the profile of women’s rugby. It is set to be the biggest women’s rugby tournament ever, and I’m certain that it will break even more viewership records. Put women’s rugby on the telly and people will watch, but right now feels like the best time to invest in the women’s game, as we look at the monumental year ahead. If a broadcaster strikes a deal now, they are incredibly likely to come good on that investment, in my opinion.
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Maybe broadcasters are waiting to see the viewing figures for the Women’s Six Nations before deciding to invest. I talk often of the ‘tipping point’ with women’s rugby, and what I mean is the uncalculatable moment that women’s rugby grows beyond scale, like women’s football saw after the 2015 FIFA World Cup. That tournament gained over 750 million TV viewers across the world, and since then, women’s football has grown exponentially.
While it will be on a smaller scale, 2021 is going to be the tipping point year for women’s rugby. The Women’s Six Nations will stand on its own for the first time ever, providing a spectacle for rugby fans, before the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand this Autumn. Now is the time for a broadcaster to realise the potential that women’s rugby has.
This weekend, not only did we see some sensational Six Nations rugby in the men’s game, we also saw some great Premier 15s clashes. Exeter continued their incredible season with a 17-10 win over Worcester Warriors, Saracens won 36-10 against Gloucester-Hartpury, Bristol Bears won 22-12 over Sale Sharks, and Loughborough Lightning won 20-17 against Harlequins.
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Despite the women’s game being available to stream online, most rugby fans chose to watch the Six Nations, which is entirely understandable. You have to be a fairly dedicated Premier 15s fan to remember to log on to your laptop, find the live stream, check you have got Adobe Flash Player or whatever you need to watch videos online, and watch the game. You can’t just stumble over a live stream of a Premier 15s match, unless you already follow them on Twitter. But, if the games were on television, you might watch a game before the Six Nations kicked off, or just put it on to see what the craic is about. I’ve said it before, but we need to make watching women’s sports as easy as possible, without the need to go to additional lengths.
EXCLUSIVE: New research shows women rugby players are more susceptible to concussion, brain damage and potentially CTE than their male counterparts. @_JessHayden 👩💻 with a difficult but important story for the sport. https://t.co/jsBaIInY3q
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 14, 2020
I think of my nana, who is Manchester United’s number one fan. So much so, she follows Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney on Twitter but not me. The other day, she was watching women’s football, just because it was on telly and she wanted to watch football. It didn’t matter much to her that it was women playing, even though she’s not really that supportive of women playing any contact sports. Last week, she texted me to say how pleased she was that I don’t play rugby anymore. I haven’t the heart to tell her that I do. My nana is the classic football fan who will watch any game that’s on. There are many rugby fans exactly the same. God, I’ve driven for miles to the backend of nowhere in Wales to watch a game. It honestly doesn’t matter to me who is playing, if there’s rugby on then I’ll watch. If the Premier 15s is on telly there are so many rugby fans who will watch, because they appreciate good quality rugby regardless of who is playing.
As the RFU ramps up their search for a broadcaster, the Premier 15s proves that it is worthy of attention. If 125,000 people are keen enough about women’s rugby to watch a game online, then many more would watch on the television. For the sake of women’s rugby, and my phone’s data allowance, I hope that the RFU finds a broadcaster soon.
Comments on RugbyPass
I really do believe that Billy Proctor should be selected at least in the larger squad but also it would be my choice at 13, much more a center than Ioane who can still play at wing. Roigard if fit should play, otherwise it should be Perenara or Christie. Also, Iose could deserve a spot at blindside. Of course, being a Canes supporter I’m biased but I really believe that at least Billy P is deserving a chance and being Holland one of the Selectors, I’m having a little hope he could grab it.
12 Go to commentsI would not play Swinton I’d pick Wright or Hanigan. The rest are decent starters, but can’t agree on any subs except Tupou. My take on the subs: Gibbon, Ueslese, Tupou, LSL, Wilson, White, Will Harrison, and Petaia.
4 Go to commentsSBW the biggest moron to pull on a black jersey a park footy player at best
7 Go to commentsSBW is fast becoming a laughing stock, his misplaced comments & lack of insight Is actually pretty sad.
7 Go to commentsJust well you guys are couch 🛋 potatoes selector's, picking a team of greenhorns to play England! “What are you people smoking?” The halfbacks will be Christie, Fakatava, Perenara Props; Newell, Bower, Lomax, Tunga'fasi, Hookers; Asosa Amua when fit, Taylor, Samisoni,
12 Go to commentsQuite frankly, all this is a bit pathetic. The first time Wales get the Wooden Spoon in 21 years and everyone is on the bandwagon for a ‘play-off’ game. Wales have no obligation to Georgia and no obligation to the rest of the Six Nations to play such a game. If they want Georgia in so badly then they need to include South Africa into a Northern Hemisphere competition with 2 leagues of 4 teams with the top 2 competing for the Championship. Sadly, this will end Triple Crowns and Grand Slams forever. Is this really what you want?
4 Go to commentsI think Finau to start Blackadder to come on. Poss Prokter instead of Ioane, haven't seen much from Reiko so far this year.
12 Go to commentsJoe will have had a good chat with Dave Rennie, a smart move to begin with while it’s doubtful Fast Eddie will be consulted? Plenty of Aus players hitting top form so they should go OK.
4 Go to commentsMmm. Not sure I like this article or see it as necessary.
7 Go to commentsBlackadder but no Finau! 😀 It’s Razor so you are probably right, plus Taylor at 2…
12 Go to commentsThe strongest possible AB side would actually include Aaron Smith, Bodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Shannon Frizzel.. don’t get me started on the rest of the injury hit brigade that got flung on the heap so left. Many a whole not getting filled as of yet.
12 Go to commentsI don’t think anyone knows what Schmidt will do, one thing is certain it ain’t gonna be all the picks we on the keyboard will think. My impression of him is that he will be looking at who can step up and what is the best combination. He will ignore individuals as he looks for guys who can build a powerful team and not just guys who can make a flashy run or ignore the winger as they want to score themselves.
4 Go to commentsSome dumb selections there. Not Porecki Not Donaldson Not Gordon Not Lonegran - both Not Nic White - Fines instead Not Liam Wright Not Paisami Definitely not Vunivalu Other than that not bad.
4 Go to commentsI've never been convinced that Patty T is a test match all black. Otherwise I probably agree it's the best side available to beat the poms. Caveat that Codie Taylor is yet to be seen and could very likely warrant selection by June. I hope that Razor brings the young loosies, half backs and locks into the training squad and develops/ selects the best
12 Go to commentsYou doing the same thing I disliked about the example of Samisoni Taukei'aho, Nick. He’s great the way he is, you’re trying to do what modern-day coaches frustrate me doing, turning everyone into the perfect athlete. Next thing you’ll be telling me you’ll bench him until he’s hit that arbitrary marker, and can’t overtake the current guy who’s doing all his workons. He’s a young Kieran Read, through and through, plays wide and has threat, mainly (and evident in your clips) through his two hand carry and speed. Just let him work on that, or whatever he wants, and determine his own future. Play God and you risk the players going sideways, like Read did, instead of being a Toutai Kefu. I mean I was in the same camp for a while, wanting our tight five to have the size, and carry ability, as the teams they were getting beat by. Now I’m starting to believe those teams just have better skilled and practiced individuals, bigger by upwards of 5kg sometimes, sure, but more influentially they have those intrinsic skills of trust and awareness. Basically our guys just didn’t know wtf they were doing. Don’t think I’m trying to prove a point here but hasn’t Caleb Clarke been in much better form this year, or does he just ‘look’ better now that he’s not always trying to use his size?
44 Go to commentsThe pack lacks a little in height for the line out and I wouldn’t be completely convinced by some of the combinations till we see it in action.
12 Go to commentsThe side is good but lacks experience. International playing bona fides udually trumps super rugby form for good reason. And incumbents are usually stuck with. Codie Taylor should start or come off the bench. B Barrett will start at fullback. Blackadder has not earned the position, Finau has. TJs experience and competitiveness earns him a starting role, Christie or Ratima off the bench
12 Go to commentsPretty good side. Scott Barrett should be the captain. Ethan Blackadder a great choice at blindside. He is going to go from strength to strength having made a couple of starts for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson rates him highly. Perenara could start a no 9.
12 Go to commentsI question and with respect. Was enough done over the last few years to bring through new blood knowing the Whitelocks and co couldn’t last forever. There should have been more done to future proof the team. New squad new coach, he and they weren’t set up well. IMO
6 Go to commentsJacobsen will definitely be in the 23
12 Go to comments