RFU aim to 'maximise opportunities' with women's performance calendar alignment

Major women’s rugby stakeholders  have put the development of its players first with an alignment of the women’s performance rugby union calendar ahead of the 2026/27 season.

The Rugby Football Union, Premiership Women’s Rugby, BUCS and Celtic Challenge have collaborated to align the performance rugby union calendar across international domestic seasons to further support player experience and progression.

A detailed Under-23  review found that players moved across numerous environments, balancing club, university and international commitments. It is hoped this alignment of the performance calendar can give players, coaches, clubs and universities “greater clarity” and allow players to “focus on performing, developing and enjoying rugby, rather than managing competing demands on their time”.

Charlie Hayter, RFU Head of Women’s Performance, said: “This aligned approach is a positive example of what can be achieved when stakeholders across the women’s game work collaboratively with player development at the centre of decision-making.

“It’s a progressive step that will help maximise opportunities within the pathway, giving players greater access to meaningful, competitive game time across club, university and international environments as they develop.”

Genevieve Shore, PWR Executive Chair, said:“Making sure the calendar and our competitions support player development and welfare has to be and remain a key priority. The team at PWR is pleased to see work begin to ease the congestion and build coherent playing opportunities, especially for our younger athletes.

“Our position has always been that to ensure a safe, coherent, performance-centric environment for athletes, we would need a multi-stakeholder response where everyone works together to achieve this objective. I am thankful for the hard work of the RFU, BUCS, PWR and Celtic Challenge leaders and hope all players feel the benefit in the coming season and beyond.”

In the combined statement, the RFU, PWR, BUCS and Celtic Challenge acknowledged that “more work remains” and directly referenced Championship 1, which is being considered in the RFU’s Women’s Competition Review.

Dan Roberts, BUCS National Performance Manager, said: “The collaboration with key stakeholders has been essential to producing a performance calendar that supports the development of women’s rugby across the UK, and recognises the role higher education institutions have within the pathway.

“The co-designed WBSR [Women’s BUCS Super Rugby] competition programme will ensure an exceptional experience for student-athletes by supporting those that are moving between environments throughout the season as well as providing opportunities of a high standard for those looking to make the next step in their journey.”

Speaking on behalf of the Celtic Challenge Josh Payne said: “This is a meaningful step forward, and one the Celtic Challenge and its member unions are proud to have contributed to.

“Ensuring players benefit from a calendar that supports their development and creates coherent opportunities across the pathway has always been central to the Celtic Challenge’s purpose, and the commitment of our unions to that objective is unwavering.”