Protectionism may be coming to the PWR.
As in the men’s Prem, teams must pick a minimum number of England-qualified players. It is set at 13 for each 23-strong matchday squad.
However, that leaves enough room for other nations to use the PWR’s world-leading playing standards to develop their own players.
Eight of Canada’s starting XV from the final play in the PWR, including Saracens’ Sophie de Goede and Exeter’s Alex Tessier. In total, 17 of their World Cup squad play in England.
The equivalent number for the United States is 14.
Even the Black Ferns, traditionally a home-grown squad, are starting to make the trip. Ealing Trailfinders have signed New Zealand internationals Georgia Ponsonby and Alana Borland (nee Bremner) for the start of next season.
While those overseas names bring some sparkle to the league – the effect of Ilona Maher’s three-month stint at Bristol Bears was immediate and startling – the ratio may be tweaked to ensure future Red Roses have the space they need to bloom.
For those already at the top, there is a chance to embed themselves and their sport more deeply in mainstream culture. And make some money while doing so.
A report by sports marketing agency Two Circles estimated that Kildunne, as the most recognisable face of the team, could make between £300,000 and £500,000 on the back of her team’s World Cup win.
Bookers for chat show sofas and celebrity television will have taken note of a squad who, often by necessity, have grown a sizeable social media presence.
A top-level Red Roses contract is worth approximately £50,000 a year, supplemented by bonuses, such as a reported £15,000 for winning the final. Few will begrudge them the chance to add to that while they are in the spotlight.
In the midst of the World Cup, a remodelled WXV Global Series was unveiled to give women’s rugby’s top nations more freedom to carve out fixture lists and rivalries that keep interest high.
But, perhaps the most unexpected sign of women’s rugby’s upward trend however, came nine days earlier in a sleek office campus in California.
To demonstrate the capabilities of the latest iPhone, a line-out was featured in Apple’s new promotional film., external
On screen, in person, behind the scenes; the challenge is big, but, so now is women’s rugby.
