At last the RFU has published its new list of 28 contracted players for the coming season and up to August 2020.
They are:
Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury Women)
Sarah Beckett (Harlequins Women)
Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears Women)
Hannah Botterman (Saracens Women)
Shaunagh Brown (Harlequins Women)
Bryony Cleall (Saracens Women)*
Poppy Cleall (Saracens Women)
Amy Cokayne (Harlequins Women/RAF)
Vickii Cornborough (Harlequins Women)
Lark Davies (Loughborough Lightning)
Vicky Fleetwood (Saracens Women)
Sarah Hunter (Loughborough Lightning)
Cath O’ Donnell (Loughborough Lightning)
Marlie Packer (Saracens Women)
Abbie Scott (Harlequins Women)
Jess Breach (Harlequins Women)
Katy Daley-Mclean (Loughborough Lightning)
Zoe Harrison (Saracens Women)
Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury Women)
Claudia Macdonald (Wasps FC Ladies)*
Sarah McKenna (Saracens Women)
Amber Reed (Bristol Bears Women)
Leanne Riley (Harlequins Women)
Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning)
Emily Scott (Harlequins Women)*
Kelly Smith (Gloucester-Hartpury Women)
Lydia Thompson (Worcester Warriors Women)
Lagi Tuima (Harlequins Women)
With the benefit of experience, the complicated system of contracts first introduced in 2016 has been reduced to a single category. No more EPS agreements. Of the seven who received one at the start of this year Shaunagh Brown, Amy Cokayne, Bryony Cleall, Claudia Macdonald and Emily Scott are promoted to a full contract. No doubt earnest conversations between the employers of some of them and the RFU helped to make this possible.
The one new face is not new at all: Amber Reed (53 caps), now restored to health and vigour, is straight back into the fold.
The reverse of that coin is the sad omission of a phalanx of outstanding servants of the English cause. Two in particular deserve the highest praise for their contributions, Rachael Burford and Rowena Burnfield.
‘Burf’, as she is known to her intimates, first played for England in 2006 and has gained 84 caps. One of the outstanding centres of her generation, she stands out for the stellar quality of her passing. Opponents might prefer to recall with pain her tackling skills, but she has an all-round game given to very few.
Ro Burnfield has been a stalwart of Richmond for many years. She first played for England in 2008 and has gained 49 caps in the second and back rows.
Not all of the omissions have necessarily been dropped. Some may have decided that their career takes precedence. But even so, it will be disappointing not to see talented players like Jo Brown, Abby Dow, Carys Williams, Tatyana Heard and Ellena Perry.
Justine Lucas now describes herself as an ‘ex-England player’. She started late in the game, not picking up a rugby ball till her last year at Loughborough. She made her England debut in 2013. After playing for Lichfield and Wasps she rejoined Lightning.
The younger players in this group may well hear the call to arms again.
With only 28 names selected, it is all too likely that Simon Middleton will need to call up reinforcements. Indeed he has said: ’we’ll continue to adapt and call on other players at any given time’. But revealingly, no completely new face has found favour.
It remains to be seen whether the professional players’ 100% commitment to the game will make it tricky for incomers to match their levels of fitness and skill. On last year’s evidence they will show up very well.
Players who were called up during the Six Nations and the Super Series (five: Heather Kerr, Rosie Galligan, Poppy Leitch, Clara Nielson and Chloe Edwards) performed admirably. Without the second category of EPS players, we don’t know for sure who is next in line for each position, but we can make inspired guesses for many of them. Some of the excluded players have already been proving their England qualities in the early rounds of the Tyrrells.
The balance of power among the ten clubs is confirmed in the new selection. Quins have no fewer than nine (excluding their captain!) and Sarries seven. But Lightning are reduced to a mere five (from seven). Four other clubs find favour (Bristol, Gloucester-Hartpury, Wasps and Worcester), but their combined total is two fewer than Quins’. DMP, Richmond and Waterloo are like love locked out.
The Red Roses have at least eight matches to dispute between now and the termination of the contracts next August. Let’s guess how many non-contracted players will need to be called up to the colours.
World Rugby’s remodelling of the Women’s Rugby World Cup includes: ‘…furthering World Rugby’s commitment to prioritising player welfare by increasing tournament squad sizes from 28 to 30 players’. This has not been picked up by the RFU. Either they are unaware of it or they prefer to limit themselves to the expense of 28 contracts. In the men’s game there is heavy criticism of WR for not increasing the maximum above 31.
Footnote
It’s intriguing how often the RFU website manages to choose a lead photo that includes players not concerned in the statement below. In this case, four.
