Women’s rugby revolution gathers pace but the sums don’t yet add up

W hat’s that coming over the hill? Nothing less than a monster-sized new era for women’s rugby. Between now and 2025 the list of big opportunities to help nourish and grow the female game is long and exciting: a high-profile World Cup in England in 2025, the launch of World Rugby’s annual WXV international tournament later this year and, for good measure, a revved-up Allianz Premier 15s domestic league as well.

Sprinkle over the top the more imminent attractions of next month’s standalone England versus France TikTok Six Nations fixture at Twickenham, set to attract 40-50,000 attendees, and Saturday’s rescheduled ‘Big Game’ – 53,000 tickets have been sold to watch the men and women of Harlequins and Exeter Chiefs – and the message is clear. Women’s rugby’s Cinderella days are numbered.

There is just one teensy problem. Money. And, specifically, paying the players enough to fulfil their part of the crowd-pleasing bargain. It has been confirmed to the Guardian that the ‘remuneration cap’ figure for clubs competing in next season’s Premier 15s will be £190,000. That’s for an entire squad. “You try to split £190,000 between 50 players,” says Susie Appleby, the head coach of table-topping Exeter. “As a player you can’t even cover your expenses. It’s ridiculous and yet they want to have the most professional league in the world. It just doesn’t work.”

In fairness, the ‘hard cap’ is set to rise incrementally to £430,000 per team by 2026-7, all things being well. A new limited company owned by the Rugby Football Union and the clubs has been set up to administer the league, with Belinda Moore as its independent chief executive. Moore, the wife of Brian, the ex-England hooker, is busy finalising how many clubs will feature