1. Professional contracts. Let’s get that one out of the way; pro v am is not a good look for women’s rugby.
2. The Premier 15s league. It isn’t perfect, but it places its participants far ahead of any equivalent league abroad. The RFU has very tough calls to make before finalising its plans for the 2023 season.
3. No to Sevens.The decision of so many leading English players to forsake the chance of an Olympic appearance (and even a medal) in the pursuit of 15’s-shaped happiness. In this one key respect they run counter to a worldwide drift towards prioritising Sevens over Fifteens. Just a few of the ex-7s players to make the switch: Emily Scarratt, Jess Breach, Mo Hunt, Holly Aitchison, Alex Matthews, Sarah McKenna, Leanne Infante, Marlie Packer, Ellie Kildunne. There have been remarkably few revelations about the reasons for this choice.
The cost has been evident: the England 7s squad has struggled consistently to match the standards of nations they should be expected to beat. So desperate have been the 7s management that they have sought to use players already capped at 15s, like Heather Cowell and Tatyana Heard. They might yet commit to 7s permanently, but that would run counter to a strong English trend.
4. England’s geographical position. The Red Roses and their five rivals in the 6 Nations can all enjoy a regular schedule of quality test matches. Not so the majority of other nations occupying the upper ranks of world rugby. Vast lands like Australia, Canada and USA find it hard bringing all their best players together regularly, and opponents are equally hard to find.
All too often they are forced to play the same opposition time and again (Canada-USA), Australia-NZ).
The Black Ferns didn’t feel the need for regular competition (five World Cup trophies) till last autumn, when they discovered the rest of the world had caught up with them.
Meanwhile England go on frequent overseas tours.
5. Talent. Is it just chance that the Red Roses are blessed with so many outstandingly talented players at present? While you might suspect that certain selection committees fill up the final places in their squad (the bench) with whoever is ‘left over’, Simon Middleton and his assistants can field a team containing many hundreds of caps, three past or present World Players of the Year and the odd holder or two of over 100 caps. Untold luxury.
6. Player Loss. After a World Cup we can expect a raft of retirements; some have already been announced. But in England’s case, it’s hard to imagine such losses causing more than a very slight rocking of the boat. It is always sad seeing familiar figures disappear, but the competition for places must surely remain as severe as at present.
7. Population size. A favourite point of mine; to which we can add rugby’s popularity within the sport-playing sector. That is a central reason why the 6 Nations has remained so unequal: three nations have a population of over 60m (England, France, Italy). The game is less popular nationally in Italy, so their results remain behind the other two. Red Roses come from all over the country, unlike les Bleues.
Even in an increasingly professional age, Wales can hardly hope to catch up with England, given their far smaller playing numbers. The Black Ferns have historically disproved this notion, but even they are now concerned about smaller numbers taking up the sport.
8. Englishmen shunning rugby. The RFU is equally concerned about the number of men leaving the sport. The figures are alarming, hence their ‘Play together, Stay together’ campaign. Not so women and girls.
9. Continuity of coaching staff. In a year that has seen a large turnover in management, England prosper from having at least two of the three coaches (Middleton and Scott Bemand) in place since the mid-2010s. That brings great advantages.
