A few vital elements of the 10-year strategy are now coming to light. We have a new title, Premiership Women’s Rugby, and a new logo. We must get used to another acronym, PWR – is that a hint at POWER?
Belinda Moore, the CEO, states: ‘Our ambition is to transform the league into the world’s most competitive, progressive, and sustainable domestic rugby competition’
‘Competitive’, certainly; ‘progressive’, yes; ‘sustainable’, let’s pray it is. But Moore does not include the word ‘professional’ here. It appears later in the statement: ‘[the PWR will] lead the way in the development of professional women’s club rugby.’
It still gives no indication of how that target is to be reached. Does the PWR believe that it is a workable ambition? What proportion of the players who took part in the 2022-23 season are happy to renounce their career in favour of a full commitment to the game?
And once more I ask: how does the company ensure that all ten clubs will stand on a level financial playing field? Will Worcester, so recently in the direst funding straits, have the same solid foundations as Exeter Chiefs and Ealing Trailfinders? If not, then the brave hopes will not be fulfilled.
The addition of ‘-ship’ to the title takes it a step closer to its male equivalent, the Gallagher Premiership. Whether that is a move the right direction is questionable: the GP is in huge difficulties.
At least it’s a relief to know that Allianz don’t mind being removed from the title of this new venture. They have been central to the AP 15s’ emergence from the shadows of crisp manufacturing. They have been thoroughly proactive.
Mind your Language!
It’s a pity the good news has to be couched in the high-flown language of a mission statement, while cold facts remain unspoken.
‘A fresh, new vision’ – what exactly is the vision? There is the new name and the new logo, and beyond that?
’Players will be at the heart of the latest phase of elite women’s club rugby in England’ – I’m not sure they’d expect to be placed anywhere else.
‘The competition’s new look and feel is designed to be powerful, dynamic, and eye-catching’. The difference between a competition’s look and its feel is tricky to spot. But it does rather suggest that last season’s efforts were none of those things. I would claim the power and dynamism were already present in abundance.
Again, the aim is to ‘create a generation of players and fans inspired by world-class club competition’. ‘World-class’ is a weasel word. The old Prem 15s was already the best club competition in the world, so what competition will the PWR have to prove its enhanced status?
The Ten Clubs
They are now re-confirmed under the new designation. They divide up geographically like this:
Three in the west country: Bristol, Exeter, Gloucester-Hartpury
Three in London: Ealing, Quins, Saracens
Three in the midlands: Leicester, Loughborough, Worcester
One in the north-west: Sale
I hope you will have a club a convenient distance from your home.
