'We feel like everyone is in a solid space': why PWR will not expand next season

Premiership Women’s Rugby executive chair, Genevieve Shore, has confirmed there will be no league expansion ahead of the 2026/27 season.

In an interview with Sarah Rendell of the Guardian, former England international Shore cited the player pool as a major reason to not add more teams to the competition.

The English women’s top flight has been contended by nine teams since Worcester Warriors Women ceased operation in 2023.

“We looked at it and our biggest inhibitor at the moment is player pool,” Shore said. “When we have looked across the size of squads, breadth and depth of squads and Championship clubs and universities, we feel like everyone is in a really solid place.

“But if we were to now throw in a 10th team or an 11th or 12th team then we are putting a bit too much pressure on the system.”

Since PWR was launched in 2017 (initially as Premier 15s before a 2023 rebrand), there have been two tender processes which have scrutinised the ability of teams to provide a sustainable elite high performance environment.

This has seen the likes of Leicester Tigers, Trailfinders Women, Exeter Chiefs and Sale Sharks join the competition while the likes of Darlington Mowden Park, Richmond, Wasps and Firwood Waterloo have rejoined community rugby competition.

In recent years Gallagher PREM giants Bath Rugby have aligned themselves with a women’s club and have spoken about positive conversations with PWR about one day joining the league.

“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.”

Seven years ago Newcastle Falcons (now Red Bulls) launched an invitational women’s team and had intended to achieve PWR status.

The last tender process took part ahead of the 2023/24 season.

Former England and Exeter lock Poppy Leitch recently called on top tier women’s clubs to invest in Championship or BUCS teams to strengthen high performance links between the amateur and the elite levels.

“I think that traditionally people see the Champ as low-level amateur rugby, being brutally honest,” Leitch said.

“My encouragement to PWR teams is invest in a Champ team. But make sure your Champ team is invested in a BUCS team. We need these kids to play the right level of rugby at the right time.

“Under 23s need to be playing Under 23s rugby, ultimately, because they aren’t really physically able yet to play senior rugby week in, week out.”