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IRFU statement: 43 women's player contracts worth up to €30,000

By PA
(Photo by John Dickson/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

The IRFU have announced it will offer 43 centralised contracts to elite Ireland women’s players next season and appoint Gillian McDarby as head of women’s performance and pathways. The contracts, which include agreements already in place for members of the women’s sevens programme, have been benchmarked internationally and will be worth up to €30,000 (£25,234), plus match fees and bonuses.

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The news comes after the women’s game in Ireland was affected by a series of high-profile gaffes in recent years.

CEO Kevin Potts said in a statement: “The creation of up to 43 IRFU contracts for women’s players is a further strong signal of our intent to foster and grow the women’s game over the coming years and to ensure that our women’s players are provided with the best opportunities to compete at the highest levels of the game in the future.”

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McDarby, who was appointed following an “extensive recruitment process”, will be responsible for the development and delivery of the governing body’s performance programme for the women’s game, including XVs and sevens.

She will work to grow the playing base of young women and girls and be tasked with developing a “cohesive player pathway” which connects and feeds the needs of both national programmes.

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The former elite cyclist has held various previous roles with the IRFU, including women’s rugby national teams programme manager between 2014 and 2016, having also been women’s national team manager and a director for Cycling Ireland. “I believe there is a huge growth opportunity for the women’s game in Ireland and I am looking forward to working with all stakeholders to bring the women’s game to the next level,” said McDarby.

“It is also pleasing that my appointment coincides with the formal announcement of contracts for up to 43 female players. This is a major step forward for women’s rugby in Ireland.”

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Due to this month’s Test matches in Japan and the Sevens World Cup in September in South Africa, the IRFU will wait to discuss contract details with players before publicising further information.

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DarstedlyDan 45 minutes ago
New Zealanders may not understand, but in France Test rugby is the 'B movie'

Italy have a top 14 issue too, that’s true. I doubt SA are overly pleased by that, although it’s countered somewhat by the fact they would expect to thrash them anyway, so perhaps are not that bothered.


The BIL teams are (aside from Ireland) A/B teams - still with many A team players. I would rather the England team touring Argentina be playing the ABs than this French one.


France could have reduced the complaints and the grounds for such if they had still picked the best team from those eligible/available. But they haven’t even done that. This, plus the playing of silly b@ggers with team selection over the three tests is just a big middle finger to the ABs and the NZ rugby public.


One of the key reasons this is an issue is the revenue sharing one. Home teams keep the ticket revenues. If the July tours are devalued to development larks then the crowds will not show up (why go watch teams featuring names you’ve never heard of?). This costs the SH unions. The NH unions on the other hand get the advantage of bums on seats from full strength SH teams touring in November. If the NH doesn’t want to play ball by touring full strength, then pay up and share gate receipts. That would be fair, and would reduce the grounds for complaint from the south. This has been suggested, but the NH unions want their cake and eat it too. And now, apparently, we are not even allowed to complain about it?


Finally - no one is expecting France to do things the way NZ or SA do. We oddly don’t really mind that it probably makes them less successful at RWC than they would otherwise have been. But a bit of willingness to find a solution other than “lump it, we’re French” would go a looonnng way.

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