The first season of the PWR finished barely a week ago. Already, managements of the nine clubs will be deciding the most sensible steps forward.
These traditionally mean signings first and foremost. We have seen relatively few thus far, but the trends are disturbing.
Let me assemble the names I’ve spotted up to now (21 June):
Loughborough Lightning have signed Alev Kelter (USA and ex-Saracens), Alicia Maude (GB7s) and two Scotland players, Elis Martin (Leicester Tigers) and Anne Young (Sale Sharks).
Gloucester-Hartpury take Sian Jones (Wales) from Sale Sharks.
Exeter Chiefs gain Stefania Evans (Canada) from Leicester Tigers and Emily and Flo Robinson from Quins.
Quins have added Claudia Peña (Spain and Barcelona), plus Harriet Millar-Mills and Lizzie Hanlon from Chiefs.
This limited list adds up to eleven players. Of them, six count as NEQPs (non-England qualified players); the remaining five include an England Sevens player and three Red Roses. Flo Robinson would be included in that number, had it not been for desperate bad luck when the lights went out in the France-England match in Lille. She was on the point of joining the action for her debut.
More revealing is a study of the clubs involved. Two of the four gainers (G-H and Chiefs) qualified for the play-offs; Quins should have, but have been under the weather this last season, and Lightning are doing their best to ensure a reappearance in the semis.
Far more significant are the clubs who are losing players. We may disregard Quins; for them it’s a case of ‘win some, lose some’. Not so for Tigers and Sharks. They finished eighth and ninth out of nine and won a combined five matches out of 32. They have lost a combined four players already.
That is where my greatest concern lies. Both clubs need to be augmenting their strength with the best players they can mine.
Instead, Tigers are losing not only important players but their head coach Vicky Macqueen too. Sharks need all the tlc available, but it doesn’t come from the RFU or the board in charge of the PWR.
It’s no great surprise that twelve of the PWR Team of the 2023-24 Season (just revealed) represent the four play-off squads. Only Abby Dow, Ellie Kildunne and Meg Jones squeeze in from outside.
We will see how the close season develops. If Tigers and Sharks don’t manage to acquire more playing strength, and a squad like G-H, already overfull of Red Roses, go on attracting new players, then the outlook is bleak. There will still be only nine clubs left to argue the matter. If two of them are to continue struggling, big question-marks will arise at the end of the new season, which is due to finish as early as March..
Equality is an unfashionable word in the professional game, but if even more clubs are forced to withdraw from the elite league – DMP, Richmond, Waterloo, Wasps and Worcester already have – there may not be any eligible clubs left to replace them. ‘One big happy family’ is a phrase on the lips of many players, but, like families in real life, they split up all too easily.
We can now sit back and watch occasional announcements from clubs, trumpeting the acquisition of a bright new star. Let’s guess which ones they will be.
