One other girls’s rugby match has come and gone – and but extra data have been damaged.
Constructing on the success of the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand, the 2023 Girls’s Six Nations featured document residence crowds for 5 of the six groups concerned, with England’s 58,498 at Twickenham main the best way.
As the game continues to evolve and develop, listed here are a number of the key questions it faces.
How do groups continue to grow crowds?
England created a template for a girls’s rugby matchday, catering to a special Twickenham viewers as much more girls than common flooded in.
The Sugababes had been booked for half-time of the Red Roses’ Grand Slam victory against France and tickets priced at £20-£30 for adults and £5 for kids introduced extra households in too.
Travelling across the nation since 2018 has constructed England’s fanbase, culminating in Saturday’s world-record crowd.
“It’s a very totally different crowd as we speak – much more girls and youngsters,” BBC rugby union correspondent Chris Jones stated on the Rugby Union Weekly podcast.
“The queue for meals and merchandise was 4 occasions so long as the queue for Guinness. It is very cool to see so many individuals right here as we speak who aren’t Twickenham regulars. All of it contributed to it being a big day in English rugby historical past.”
Apart from France’s 18,603 in Grenoble, the opposite data damaged within the match are extra modest.
Wales hosted 8,862 followers in Cardiff, Scotland had been cheered on by 4,862 in Edinburgh and Italy welcomed 4,700 in Parma.
Whereas a sport on the Principality Stadium should still be just a few years off for Wales, France may begin to suppose greater.
The Stade de France in Paris will likely be unavailable earlier than it’s used as an Olympic venue in 2024, however different stadiums for the 2023 males’s World Cup starting from 33,000 to 70,000 capability may very well be good choices.
What concerning the one-sided scorelines?
Pre-tournament pleasure about all of the groups having contracted gamers for the primary time has been tempered considerably by lop-sided scorelines.
It should take time to shut the hole with England and France, who’ve been skilled for longer.
Wales – additional into professionalism than Scotland and Eire – confirmed indicators of catching up and have climbed to their highest world rating of sixth after finishing third in the championship.
Ioan Cunningham’s facet had been nonetheless crushed 59-3 by England and 39-14 by France, however did come out on high of a good and entertaining sport with Scotland in spherical two.
“There may be such a niche between the highest two and the remainder,” England World Cup-winner Kat Service provider stated.
“The Wales v Scotland sport was actually shut, actually thrilling and other people watching as neutrals thought ‘what a improbable sport’.
“We won’t see the 50-0s as a result of it’s simply not good for any match.”
What is going to occur with contracts?
On the entire, contracts that permit gamers to be full-time athletes have understandably contributed to increased high quality play.
However there may be nonetheless progress to be made. Not all Eire’s gamers accepted the contracts provided by their union and, given England have at all times led the best way on this space, there are questions over whether or not Purple Roses gamers ought to get a pay rise.
Contract values differ, however normally England gamers are paid about £30,000 for a one-year deal, with the checklist of these given contracts altering from 12 months to 12 months.
Rugby Gamers’ Affiliation normal secretary Christian Day is concerned in discussions over a brand new deal for when the present contracts finish this summer season.
“We would like a good illustration of what their worth to the RFU is,” he stated earlier than Saturday’s Grand Slam win – the Purple Roses’ fifth successive Six Nations title. “I believe it is rising.”
After Saturday’s victory, England prop Hannah Botterman stated: “Clearly the RFU did not anticipate to get practically 60,000 right here. I believe we doubled what they anticipated.
“There’s ongoing talks however we simply wish to hold the followers pleased and hold them flooding these stadiums as a result of it actually does give us a lift.”
Service provider referred to as for extra “safety” for England gamers on one-year contracts, saying: “In any other case you begin enjoying badly and you are going to lose your earnings. If I used to be on £30,000 and I received let go, I might actually wrestle.”
What’s the subsequent huge match?
This autumn World Rugby is launching WXV, a brand new three-tier international girls’s match designed to present extra groups common, high quality Check matches.
By ending within the high three of the Six Nations, England, France and Wales have all certified for the highest tier, WXV 1, which can even embody three groups out of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
That’s anticipated to be performed in New Zealand in October, whereas the boys’s World Cup is being performed in France.
Scotland are in WXV 2 after ending fourth within the Six Nations, their highest putting since 2017, however Eire have gone within the incorrect course.
After profitable the Six Nations eight years in the past, Eire completed sixth this 12 months and will likely be in WXV 3. Italy will face a play-off in opposition to Spain for a spot in WXV 2.
Former Wales captain Siwan Lillicrap mirrored on the impression the brand new competitors may have, saying: “We’re seeing glimpses of how we compete with the most effective on the planet.
“The extra occasions we will play them the higher we will likely be at that. Going into tier one in every of WXV will give us that chance to compete extra usually and shut that hole.”
