Women’s Super Rugby is a major development for the women’s game in England and will significantly raise the standards of rugby domestically and help support the Red Roses’ ambition to be the number one team in the world.

It is also expected to help grow participation and create new commercial partnerships to help underpin the competition.

The competition will receive a multi-million pound investment from the RFU over the next three years to help deliver the minimum standards expected and provide high-quality coaching, facilities, training environments and community engagement plans.

The announcement reflects the increasing popularity and success of women’s rugby in England following the Red Roses’ success of winning the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2014 and Great Britain playing in the first sevens competition of the Olympic Games last year in Rio.

Valkyries, who play their home matches at Sixways, will play 18 league matches against teams from all across the country.

Following a rigorous and independently-chaired application process, the 10 successful teams that have been offered a place in the Women’s Super Rugby, subject to contract, are:

•    Bristol Ladies Rugby Ltd
•    Darlington Mowden Park Sharks
•    Firwood Waterloo Ladies
•    Harlequin FC
•    Gloucester-Hartpury Women’s RFC
•    Loughborough Students (Lightning)
•    Richmond FC
•    Saracens Women
•    Wasps FC Ladies
•    Worcester Warriors RFC

Meanwhile, Valkyries will be looking for a new Director of Rugby ahead of the 2017/18 season as current boss Donna Kennedy will be stepping down.

To register your interest in becoming the Valkyries Director of Rugby please visit the Job Opportunities section of the Warriors website later this week.

Valkyries are also looking for new players to join the team as they aim to compete in the higher echelons of Women’s Super Rugby.

As part of the new set-up Valkyries are working with Education Partner University of Worcester to provide aspiring international players with scholarships.

To register your interest in a Valkyries scholarship please send a playing CV to valkyries@warriors.co.uk.

Valkyries have gone from strength to strength in recent years and remain the only side outside of London to win the Women’s Premiership after they claimed the title in 2013.

The side have nearly 20 current internationals and also boast some of the best facilities of any women’s rugby team in the country.

Valkyries Chair Karen Jones: “We are at a very exciting time for women’s rugby and the new Super Rugby competition will help to take the sport to the next level and give it greater recognition.

“Valkyries have ambitions to become the leading club side in women’s rugby and we are excited to be able to provide a genuine pathway for the most talented players in the country to progress in the game.”

Warriors Chief Executive Jim O’Toole said: “Women’s rugby has grown rapidly in recent years and the structure of the new league will ensure the sport continues to go from strength to strength.

“We have learnt a great deal in our first season of integrating the Valkyries into the Warriors organisation and plan to apply those lessons as we prepare for the first season of the new competition with the goal of making the Valkyries a competitive force in the new world of top-class women’s rugby.”

Valkyries will be hosting open trials in the summer ahead of pre-season training. Anyone interested in becoming a Valkyries player can turn up to the session. Full details and dates of the open trials will be announced closer to the time.

Report courtesy of Worcester Valkyries

Kick-starting in September 2017, the new women’s top tier competition will significantly raise the standards of rugby domestically and help support the Red Roses’ ambition to be the number one team in the world. It is also expected to help grow participation and create new commercial partnerships to help underpin the competition.

Loughborough was chosen having hit or exceeded all of the minimum operating standards, which included professional coaching, sports science and medical provision as well as exceptional training and playing environments.

Already playing in the upper echelons of women’s university rugby, winning is part of the culture at Loughborough University, but of even more importance is athlete development. This new RFU initiative will allow the University to further improve the opportunities it can provide for its athletes, as it enters the competition for an initial three year period.

Head of Performance Programmes Alan Buzza commented: “We are over the moon to be part of Women’s Super Rugby. I truly believe that we now have the opportunity here at Loughborough to be one of, if not the best women’s player development centres in the world. That’s a phenomenally exciting position to be in.

“This creates a complete pathway from the Loughborough College AASE programme, through the Loughborough Ladies Championship side and our BUCS student teams. Women’s Super Rugby completes the programme, providing a springboard to international competition.

“The competition creates an environment for us to be able to deliver even more life shaping experiences for our players.”

RFU Director of Professional Rugby Nigel Melville said: “This is another significant development for women’s rugby in this country. Women’s Super Rugby will drive standards in the game, both domestically and at an elite level, and continue to encourage more women and girls to play the sport.

“I would like to congratulate the 10 clubs on their successful applications which have resulted in them being offered a place in the new competition. We now have the opportunity to build a world-class domestic competition, with the backing and funding of the RFU, demonstrating the union’s commitment to growing the game at all levels.”

The competition will receive a multi-million pound investment from the RFU over the next three years to help deliver the minimum standards expected and provide high-quality coaching, facilities, training environments and community engagement plans.

Further team information will be unveiled in due course.

Report courtesy of Loughborough University

Women’s Super Rugby is a major development for the women’s game in England and will significantly raise the standards of rugby domestically and help support the Red Roses’ ambition to be the number one team in the world. It is also expected to help grow participation and create new commercial partnerships to help underpin the competition.

Following a rigorous and independently-chaired application process, the 10 successful teams that have been offered a place in the Women’s Super Rugby, subject to contract, are:

• Bristol Ladies Rugby Ltd
• Darlington Mowden Park Sharks
• Firwood Waterloo Ladies
• Harlequin FC
• Gloucester-Hartpury Women’s RFC
• Loughborough Students (Lightning)
• Richmond FC
• Saracens Women
• Wasps FC Ladies
• Worcester Valkyries

All applicants will be required to deliver against a set of minimum operating standards, which are designed to create an infrastructure within the clubs to support an increasingly professional game.

The key focus of these minimum standards include:

• To develop a professional coaching resource to support players in training throughout the week
• To provide teams with regular and expert sports science support and medical provision for both training and match-days
• To improve the training and playing environment.

The competition will receive a multi-million pound investment from the RFU over the next three years to help deliver the minimum standards expected and provide high-quality coaching, facilities, training environments and community engagement plans.

The announcement reflects the increasing popularity and success of women’s rugby in England following the Red Roses’ success of winning the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2014 and Great Britain playing in the first sevens competition of the Olympic Games last year in Rio.

This season has seen the RFU announce its ambitions to double the number of women and girls playing rugby to 50,000 and the arrival of 15-a-side professional contracts ahead of eagerly anticipated Women’s Rugby World Cup in August this year.

RFU Director of Professional Rugby Nigel Melville said: “This is another significant development for women’s rugby in this country. Women’s Super Rugby will drive standards in the game, both domestically and at an elite level, and continue to encourage more women and girls to play the sport.

“I would like to congratulate the 10 clubs on their successful applications which have resulted in them being offered a place in the new competition. We now have the opportunity to build a world-class domestic competition, with the backing and funding of the RFU, demonstrating the union’s commitment to growing the game at all levels.”

RFU Head of Women’s Performance Nicky Ponsford added: “We are really excited about the innovative opportunity that Women’s Super Rugby gives us to reach new participants and attract new fans to the game, and we are determined to make the most of this opportunity.”

Report courtesy of the RFU