Who will take up the last two places available in the reformed Allianz Premier 15s?
There are two routes on offer: either Women’s Premier 15 Ltd will select from the four established clubs not already admitted (DMP Sharks, Sale Sharks, Wasps and University of Worcester Warriors) or they will turn to either one or two hopefuls from beyond.
Of the first group Sale and UWW look to be in the best shape for acceptance. Both are directly connected to a men’s Premiership club (though Sale do not use the same ground); both have acceptable stadiums (Wasps do not, until/unless they move to the CBS Stadium Coventry); they currently sit 5th and 6th in the table; DMP and Wasps 9th and 10th. They have five wins from a combined eight games; DMP and Wasps have together shipped 483 points in their eight games.
Quins’ signing of Abby Dow on 23 December is a final hammer-blow for Wasps, one of the leading clubs in the history of women’s rugby in England. They date back to 1986, one year before England’s first ever international match.
Now they are left without a single current Red Rose. Their string of England and GB 7s players, Abi Burton, Amy Wilson Hardy, Celia Quansah and Meg Jones, seem unlikely to wear black and gold again. If they do, that will be great news for the Swarm.
The one big name to return to DMP Sharks (from a brief stay at Saracens) was Tamara Taylor, as an assistant coach. She has just been appointed Head Coach of the Swedish national squad, so any hopes she might take over in Darlington are dashed.
Playing Strength
This is where the contrasts are strongest.
Between them Sale and UWW have any number of international players, if only two England- qualified (Laura Keates and Lydia Thompson, both UWW). Neither DMP nor Wasps can make a similar boast.
Nor indeed can any of the other hopefuls outside the established ten. I had wondered whether anxious Wasps players might move down the road to Ealing Trailfinders, especially when their long-time coach Giselle Mather took over there, but other clubs have now mopped up all their many test players, viz:
Bristol (Claire Molloy)
Exeter Chiefs (Claudia Macdonald, Cliodhna Moloney, Ciara Cooney, Edel McMahon)
Gloucester-Hartpury (Maud Muir, Sam Monaghan)
Harlequins (Abby Dow, Amy Cokayne, Bryony Cleall, Ellie Boatman, Ellie Kildunne)
Saracens (Flo Williams)
– so there are thirteen test players Mather is unlikely to be able to sign up.
Who needs money?
The RFU displayed a lack of sloppy sentimentality when dismissing two great women’s clubs from their presence at elite level (Lichfield then Richmond), so we needn’t expect any sympathy this time. They are set on an increased professionalisation, despite all the grave warnings provided by research into the bank accounts of the men’s game.
As recently as 21 December one report suggested a combined debt of around £300m for the twelve clubs; not one was showing a profit. Where is the money coming from to provide all those female players with reliable living standards?
