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Welsh Rugby Union gives 37 professional contracts to women players

By PA
England v Wales – Guinness Women’s Six Nations – Ashton Gate

The Welsh Rugby Union has issued new full-time professional contracts to 37 women players.

The move – which comes as Ioan Cunningham’s squad prepares to face Australia in the WXV2 tournament in South Africa this weekend – includes many extended two-year deals for the first time.

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The WRU, who first introduced full-time deals for 12 of its players in January 2022 and subsequently increased that number to 25 for 2023, said the new agreement makes Wales one of the best paid international women’s teams in the world game.

WRU chief executive Abi Tierney said: “We have reached a good place with this Wales squad and we are excited about the future.

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Bok Women prop Babalwa Latsha on her ‘bread and butter’

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Bok Women prop Babalwa Latsha on her ‘bread and butter’

“We have a stated aim to continue to invest in women’s rugby and that means both at the professional level and in the structures and systems which underpin it.

“Professional international contracts are a vitally important part of the ecosystem we are creating to promote success.

“We have not completed this work and we will have plenty more to say on this subject when we announce our full strategy this autumn, but this is a hugely positive day for women’s rugby in Wales.”

Among those retained under the new deal are squad captain Hannah Jones, 76-times capped hooker Carys Phillips, recent matchday skipper Kiera Bevan and Team GB sevens star Jasmine Joyce.

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There are also deals for talented youngsters Nel Metcalfe, Sian Jones and Molly Reardon, as well as the likes of Lleucu George, Alex Callender, Abbie Fleming, Sisilia Tuipulotu and Alisha Butchers.

Wales recorded third-place finishes in the Women’s Six Nations Championship in 2022 and 2023, but picked up the wooden spoon this year with their only victory coming at home against Italy.

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E
EV 5 hours ago
Is this why Ireland and England struggle to win World Cups?

Rassie is an extremely shrewd PR operator but the hype and melodrama is a sideshow to take the attention from the real reason for the Boks dominance.


Utimately the Boks dominate because Rassie and his team are so scientific and so driven. His attention to detail and obsessive analysis smacks of Tom Brady's approach.


He has engineered a system to find and nurture talent from the best schools to the most desolate backwaters. That system has a culture and doctrine very similar to elite military units, it does not tolerate individuals at the expense of the collective.


That machine also churns out three to five world class players in every position. They are encouraged to play in Ireland, England, France and Japan where their performance continues to be monitored according to metrics that is well guarded IP.


Older players are begged to play in the less physical Japanese league as it extends their careers. No Saffa really wants to see Etzebeth or Peter Steph or Pollard play in France or British Isles. And especially not in South Africa, where you just have these big, physical young guns coming out of hyper competitive schools looking for blood.


Last but but no means the least is the rugby public's alignment with the Springbok agenda. We love it when they win between World Cups but there is zero drama if they lose a game or a string of games for the sake of squad depth.


It's taken time to put it together but it has just matured into a relentless machine.

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