“Those who want to be professional rugby players, can be full time professional rugby players.”
At first glance, a bland statement that summarises a seemingly straightforward concept.
When applied to the Wales Women’s senior side, however, it represents a seismic moment in the 34-year history of a group long plagued by mismanagement and neglect.
The quote, of course, can be attributed to WRU performance director Nigel Walker, who this week confirmed that 25 players in the women’s game will be offered 12-month contracts from January 2022.
Walker accurately described the development as a “major step forward,” and also unveiled proposals to re-install national female sides at under-18 and under-20 level.
The narrative to how this undeniably positive news all came about can vary, depending on your choice of blazer, time spent on Twitter, or levels of unrelenting cynicism.
New Playing Contracts Should Be Only The Start, Says Wales Captain Siwan Lillicrap https://t.co/dVjzO6OEl5
— Dai Sport (@Dai_Sport_) November 4, 2021
WRU headquarters would prefer it labelled the culmination of a long-standing vision to produce a world-class international women’s side in Wales, one capable of challenging France and England annually in Six Nations, and of featuring in later stages of World Cups.
In reality, it’s the product of Walker, who, to his credit, has only been in his role three months, promptly addressing a shambles after the organisation was brutally exposed by 123 former players and a global star in Jasmine Joyce.
In April, it was that number of ex-internationals who wrote to chief executive Steve Phillips pointing out the inequalities in the women’s game.
The current senior players, though, have long been muzzled over speaking out about their amateur status and underwhelming resources.
The performances of Joyce for the Team GB Sevens side in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, however, and then the two international tournaments that followed, elevated her status to a level where she didn’t need to comply with misguided orders of self-interest.
Suddenly, the WRU needed her more than she needed them.
Subsequent comments from the Bristol Bears player emphasising that she would now go back to her day job whilst trying to fit in a club and international rugby schedule went viral.
Fury was vented on social media, high-profile figures weighed in, and Walker quickly sought talks with the star.
Which brings us to now. For Wales Women, the top floor of the house is about to be renovated, but it’s the crumbling staircase and two floors below which need urgent addressing as well.
Of the 25 golden tickets to be handed out, only 10 will be full-time and reportedly worth around £19,000, with 15 more players on a retainer to earn £7,500.
The figures are dwarfed by the £30,000 per year the average England international earns, and whilst this isn’t a shock given the superior financial strength of the RFU, the contrast is telling.
I love being part of Great Britain and playing on the world series, but unfortunately after the Dubai in December, it will go back to England. Meaning I will no longer be living the dream as a full time rugby player, but balancing both a full time job and rugby #playerofthefinal pic.twitter.com/VovKE0qw0d
— JasmineJoyce (@joyce_jaz) September 21, 2021
Not all matters need cheque-books banded about, though. The women’s set-up has long been clouded by a lack of transparency, a culture of flicking problems aside rather than afford players, and supporters, the respect of providing clarity.
Warren Abrahams left the head coach role ‘to pursue other interests’ after less than nine months.
Skills coach Rachel Taylor exited through a side-door having barely got through the front one.
Prior to that, team progress was halted when Rowland Phillips was given an unexplained rest before later parting ways with the WRU, with farcical reasoning given to mask the widely-known fall-out with key WRU figures.
The axe then coincidentally fell on his daughter, then captain Carys Phillips, and pivotal player Sioned Harries.
Phillips has since returned to the fold, but Harries remains absent for purely ‘rugby reasons’, the equivalent of the All Blacks leaving out Beauden Barrett on the basis his one-handed off-load style needs some tinkering.
Ioan Cunningham currently leads an interim coaching team, flanked by Richard Whiffin, Sophie Spence, and Geraint Lewis.
Should they be upgraded to permanent roles, then any mystique around appointments or difficult calls must be binned.
🎮 “Joyce! She’s got the cheat codes on her!”@joyce_jaz was absolutely electric in Vancouver! Can’t wait to see what’s in store for Edmonton ⚡️ 🇬🇧#HSBC7s | @GBRugbySevens pic.twitter.com/9fKpVri9cJ
— World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) September 24, 2021
Create a culture where a team isn’t important enough to have problems clarified, and you create a team which isn’t important.
The domestic game doesn’t so much need sudden funding as it does basic re-organisation.
The abhorrent idea of ‘merit tables’ have mercifully been culled, but the structure remains a mess, devoid of a Premiership League or regional structure that can serve as a breeding ground for internationals.
The drain of high-quality players to the English set-up is understandable, and while the reintroduction of age-grade Welsh sides will help, improving the elite end of the game is futile if there’s no pathway underneath it.
Of course, all this tempering isn’t designed to sour a rare good news week for women’s rugby in Wales.
🗨️Nigel Walker on the news that the first contracts will be offered to female rugby players in Wales before the end of the year: “We are committed to making this the best professional women’s programme in the world” pic.twitter.com/NlzVNjVYak
— Welsh Rugby Union 🏉 (@WelshRugbyUnion) November 3, 2021
Walker’s desire to be proactive has rightfully been praised, and to see personnel within our female game lauding the WRU on social media makes a pleasant change.
For the players themselves, it’s a timely lift ahead of an autumn series of games with Japan, South Africa, and Canada, as they bid to end a winless streak that dates back more than two years.
No-one, however, can pretend all is now fixed.
During his own sporting career, clearing hurdles and performing at speed were synonymous with what Walker was about, competing for Wales in the Commonwealth Games before switching to rugby and scoring 12 tries for his country in only 17 appearances.
Perhaps then, it’s unsurprising that he’s quickly helped the women’s national side over their first major hurdle.
A man of Walker’s experience, however, will know there are more to clear to reach the finish line.
Is Wales Still A Sporting Nation? Yes, But You’ll Now Need To Look Beyond The Wendy And The Egg
