Wales boss signs new three-year contract and 17 more players turn pro for World Cup in major WRU announcement

Wales Women head coach Ioan Cunningham has signed a long-term contract to stay on for the next Rugby World Cup in 2025 in England amid a major coup for Welsh rugby.

The former Scarlets forwards coach and Wales U20s boss, 39, was initially appointed on an interim basis ahead of the autumn 2021 internationals before being installed as the coach to lead Wales Women to October's World Cup, but his tenure has now been extended for another three years. He has been credited with reinstalling belief in the morale-depleted Wales squad he inherited and transforming their environment in just six weeks last year.

The Welsh Rugby Union has also announced that the number of players on full-time professional contracts has more than doubled to boost preparations for this autumn's global showpiece tournament in New Zealand, which is being staged 12 months later than planned due to Covid. Wales' World Cup campaign kicks off against Scotland on October 9. Including the dozen women who turned pro for Wales in January, Wales now has 31 players on WRU contracts: 29 full-time and two part-time.

Seventeen new full-time deals have been awarded, lasting from July to the end of December, including to 11 players who were previously on semi-professional/retainer contracts: Gwen Crabb, Georgia Evans, Kat Evans, Lleucu George, Cerys Hale, Kelsey Jones, Kerin Lake, Bethan Lewis, Caitlin Lewis, Kayleigh Powell, Niamh Terry and Sisilia Tuipulotu. Five more players have been awarded their first contracts – flanker Alex Callender, props Cara Hope and Caryl Thomas, centre Meg Webb and uncapped lock Liliana Podpadec – while outside half Robyn Wilkins has taken up a retainer contract alongside her teaching job.

Extra three-month contracts will also be up for