Welfare in women's rugby to be overseen by new steering group

Player welfare in the women’s game will be overseen by a new steering group, World Rugby has announced.

The 13-person group, which will be chaired by former Canada international Dr Araba Chintoh, will focus exclusively on interventions and initiatives designed specifically for women’s rugby.

It will make recommendations to World Rugby on surveillance studies, filling research gaps, considering findings from existing research and identifying elements of the game which would benefit from a women-specific approach such as the laws of the game and head injury assessments.

Chintoh said: “The women’s game has developed at a rapid pace over the past few years, we must ensure that the right interventions, research studies and laws are in place to continue to support and sustain its global growth and make it even more accessible.

“We need to move away from simply replicating what is in existence in the men’s game with respect to player welfare and with the establishment of the women’s player welfare steering group, we will begin to inform and advise relevant decision-making committees in World Rugby where change needs to happen. This is truly a significant and positive step for the women’s game.”