RFU
The RFU commissioned a report to establish the game’s worth to the nation. (‘Nation’ here has to be firmly understood as England). It comes up with the staggering sum of £2.03bn.
The full report can be found @ rfu.widen.net/content/reb6bz57eg/pdf/Enriching-Lives—The-Social-Value-of-Community-Rugby-Union-in-England-2024.pdf?u=wkeerv
A point of interest: it divides the nation into ten regions which are all given their own value. The variations are striking. In first place comes the SE (excluding London) at £428m, second the SW at £328; last the NE at £74m. That neatly reflects the north-south divide at PWR level, though the Londonless SE region is not represented there.
Then you might wonder why the RFU went to the bother of commissioning this extensive survey, the first of its kind.
The day before the Budget the BBC offered this headline on its cricket page: “A £35m government funding pledge towards grassroots cricket to help revive the game in state schools is said to be severely under threat.”
Super Rugby Aupiki
The four franchises have announced their squads for the new season. Just one or two places remain unoccupied.
It remains to be seen whether Super Rugby Aupiki can provide the boost for the Black Ferns it was designed to be. From the start critics doubted the worth of any competition so limited in scope.
The tournament was extended last year to provide home and away games. That was a vital step forward, as the scheme had seemed too brief and unchallenging. One problem is the continued reliance on only four teams, Blues, Manawa, Matatū and Poua.
With players changing their allegiance in large numbers, it gives the coaches less time to build a unity of purpose and method.
The World Cup is around the corner; the national selectors will be more eagle-eyed than ever hunting for new talent to strengthen the Ferns’ chances.
The Struggle for Players
Is it healthy for players from around the world to want to play in the PWR?
Two very different cases are Maddie Feanauti (Exeter Chiefs and England) and Ilona Maher (USA 7s). Susie Appleby, Chiefs’ DoR, has admitted her ‘desperate’ search for England Qualified Players (EQPs). That reflects the PWR’s insistence on prioritising home-grown material. But Feaunati has led a thoroughly multi-national life. She was born in England since her father Isaac was playing for a series of English clubs. She could equally have qualified for Samoa or New Zealand.
I suspect Samoa could do with a player of her quality more than England. And the Black Ferns…?
As I type, Maher still hasn’t joined a PWR club, though news about her intentions broke a few days ago. Like so many other players, she wants to raise her personal standards so that she can make the Eagles’ squad for the next World Cup. She already has an Olympic bronze medal, so is one more player trying to bestride the 7s/15s divide.
We may discover how the PWR committee (minus its CE, Belinda Moore, who resigned) reacts to any request from Maher.
Wales
News drops on a daily basis.
Fi Tomas of the Telegraph offered a shock exclusive, pointing to alleged mismanagement by the WRU. Were players really given three hours to sign new contracts? Were they really not allowed to seek assistance from the Women’s Rugby Association (WRA) in negotiating them? Did Nigel Walker really threaten to withdraw them from the next World Cup if they refused to sign on the dotted line? The questions piled up.
The next day WRU provided a response, but it was curiously muted. We read statements like this one from WRU’s Chair, Richard Collier-Keywood: “It is absolutely clear that we need to apologise,”
Why not a briefer: “We apologise”? Then: The WRU refused “almost all of the players’ requests”. A list of such requests is offered, but not the ones that were granted.
One strange feature of the affair is the presence of three women in high positions at the WRU: Abi Tierney, the COE, Alison Thorne and Claire Donovan, board members. The WRU has denied accusations of sexism, which was one of the complaints assessed by Dame Anne Rafferty in her wide-ranging review completed less than a year ago. But the WRU has admitted failings which it lists.
Anger and disappointment are the present watchwords. The whole sad business has to be seen in the light of apparent progress recently, but the state of rugby in Wales in general is very worrying. While the women have serious grounds for grievance, the men’s game seems to be unravelling even faster.
An official response is promised within a month.
England departures
Till now the only Red Rose to indicate publicly that she might not continue playing after the World Cup is Amy Cokayne. She is as yet undecided.
Similar thoughts may be passing through the minds of other familiar figures. The average number of caps in the squad is all the proof we need that they are unequalled in experience. You might draw up your own list of possible departures; it could prove distressingly long.
