Premier 15s player of the year Natasha Hunt misses out on RFU contract
England have named only one scrum-half among the 32 players contracted to the Rugby Football Union for at least the 2023-24 season.
Lucy Packer is the solitary nine to feature, meaning Leanne Infante and Natasha Hunt have missed out in the agreement that covers salaries, match fees and arrangements for the 2025 World Cup.
Hunt was named Premier 15s player of the year after co-captaining Gloucester-Hartpury to last season’s title.
GB Rugby Sevens player Megan Jones, who also qualifies for Wales, is included in the 32 as she concentrates on a XVs career with the Red Roses.
Lydia Thompson, the wing sent off for a high tackle in last year’s World Cup final defeat by New Zealand, is also absent.
The contracts are of varying lengths but the agreement covers the next three seasons and it includes two players who will shortly go on maternity leave. Two further contracts will be announced later in the year.
“This is a hugely exciting time for the Red Roses, especially with our home World Cup on the horizon in 2025,” RFU head of women’s performance Charlie Hayter said.
“However, we know there is a lot of work to do before then and we are excited to bring the group together shortly to start preparations for WXV which will be the immediate focus for us all.”
Contracted players: H Aitchison (Bristol), Z Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury), S Beckett (Gloucester-Hartpury), S Bern (Bristol), H Botterman (Bristol), J Breach (Saracens), M Carson (TBC), P Cleall (Saracens), K Clifford (Saracens), A Cokayne (Leicester), V Cornborough (Harlequins), L Davies (Bristol), A Dow (Ealing), R Galligan (Saracens), Z Harrison (Saracens), T Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury), M Jones (Leicester), S Kabeya (Loughborough), E Kildunne (Harlequins), A Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury), C MacDonald (Exeter), M Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury), C O’Donnell (Loughborough), M Talling (Sale), L Packer (Harlequins), M Packer (Saracens), C Powell (Harlequins), A Reed (Bristol), H Rowland (Loughborough), E Scarratt (Loughborough), E Sing (Gloucester-Hartpury), A Ward (Bristol).
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You have got to consider that if the situation was flipped and the French were held to a salary cap with no English equivalent, the English would laugh in their faces and tell them to get over it. As for Leinster (as a fan), the central contract system is a dream but is guilty of cutting out the other 3 provinces. At the end of the day, it comes across outside of the English border that the Premiership is drowning and trying to take everyone else with it rather than adapt. The English lose, the English want new rules. We've seen this repeat (and once it even led to the current Champions Cup) You make many good and informed points, but if the flip was on the other flop, it wouldn't be Rugby’s problem I suspect - it would be a French one.
Go to commentsSeems to have been a bright start but it tailed off. To win the big matches you have to get used to putting your foot on the throttle and your opponent’s necks in an 80 minutes performance which is what the All Blacks were renowned for. An example in the Women’s game is England v Ireland in the 6N match played at Twickenham in April. Watch on YouTube.
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