So the women's team is considered important, but England having access to the best coaches in the year leading up to the world cup, and grassroots rugby, is not? Got it.
This is a PR exercise because of the flack they took when they got rid of the entirely unnecessary contracts in the first place. you can easily invest in the women's game without giving them full-time contracts, it's an absolute nonsense.
It's nothing to do with "what the sport stands for" at all. They realised they were up the creek financially, so they cut back on the women's contracts, which were a ridiculous PR stunt in the first place. They felt the backlash and acquiesced - thereby doubling down on their original stupidity - and some poor sod has to pay with his job.
Sorry Rodney but really don’t agree.
Giving women’s players some kind of recognition is not a ridiculous PR stunt, couldn’t disagree more.
The “PR flack” vanished ages ago - so there’s no need at all to do it now - the world had happily moved on from the row, it makes no communications sense to do it now if if it’s about image. Particularly not in the light of the exact reporting you highlight about finances.
England not paying coaches - where does that line come from? What cuts to the senior team do you mean? Every report I’ve read says there have been none.
I entirely agree they shouldn’t be slashing the grass roots as much - but the unaccountable board full of old men won’t accept any cuts to their luxury entitlements to allow cuts anywhere else - which is where the real questions should be being directed.
Also - do you need a successful first team to grow the grassroots or does a successful grassroots create a successful first team?
There isn’t much more expansion opportunity to get men to watch rugby, numbers have been pretty static for years - but there’s a huge untapped market in encouraging women to watch sport.
The tickets to the women’s World Cup were sold in large numbers to women and young women in particular - people who don’t normally spend cash on going to live sport. If you market to them, you’ll make more money.
If you keep selling a product to the same market you’re never going to get large expansion - all sports are desperate to get women on board, because that’s where there’s new money to be made.
So I happen to think that
A) it sends a great message to young women and girls like my daughter that professional rugby is not just a man’s sport - and yes, I do think that’s important even though I’m in my 40s and hate the Guardian
B) it looks like a good commercial decision based on trying to expand the chance to make money
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