England’s women seized the day — and what a day it was. Another Grand Slam, a classic, pulsating Test, a world-record crowd and the sense of a watershed moment.
Their victory over France and the whole, vibrant, glorious occasion represented a timely boost, not just to the female game, but to rugby in these parts, full stop. The sport has had a belly-full of negativity this season, so the Red Roses’ feat in achieving mass appeal is something to be savoured.
Now, they have to be handled with care. A delicate balance must be found in order to best nurture these national rugby assets.
The temptation will be to hit the fast-forward button, but that would be a mistake. Not all games are of sufficient calibre to justify staging them at Twickenham. Not all games can draw almost 60,000 fans.
The roadshow model should be persisted with, for now. After they hung on to beat the French 38-33 for their latest triumph, the England players acknowledged the need for realism with the choice of venues, as other nations strive to catch up with Europe’s standard-bearers.
England’s Grand Slam victory over France in front of 60,000 at Twickenham has the potential to be a watershed moment for women’s rugby
They produced a stunning performance on what was all-round a glorious and vibrant occasion
The players celebrated in front of a sun-baked and joyous Twickenham crowd after triumph
‘We want all our fixtures to be here, but we understand it might not be feasible,’ said prop Hannah Botterman. ‘There’s a certain amount of tickets we have to sell to make it worth coming here. The aim is to play all games here (eventually). After the success of this, maybe we can get another one in the Six Nations and get two big crowds in. Keep building up to the World Cup (in 2025) when hopefully we can sell it out.
‘We just have to keep on putting performances in. The better we play, the more people will want to come and watch. Hopefully, we can keep going on the trajectory we’re on now.’
England’s departing head coach Simon Middleton added: ‘My first game was two or three thousand fans. We had to fight for grounds to play at. This has to be the benchmark now.’
England captain Marlie Packer summed up the satisfaction at no longer being regarded as a support act for the men, saying: ‘We weren’t no curtain-raiser. I want to sell out Twickenham. I believe we can do it before 2025 and that World Cup final.
‘Let’s get us in stadiums where we’re going to be near enough sold out every time. Yes, it would be great to play at Twickenham every time and that will come in time but we need to keep building the fan base.’
At this rate, the women’s World Cup here in two years’ time is shaping up to be an epic showcase of the female game. What England need is for more of their rivals to step up, with enhanced funding and support from public and employers alike.
If tickets prices are kept low for now, there can be more bumper crowds full of women and young girls. Twickenham is full of portraits from yesteryear of old committee men in blazers, but Saturday’s glittering spectacle showed that the demographic can change and expand.
People were at Twickenham to watch and enjoy a partisan party in the stands, not just fuel up at the bars and wait to be entertained. How refreshing.
Packer and her team-mates are hoping that their success at Twickenham can help them negotiate an improved pay deal.
The Red Roses earn about £35,000 each on RFU contracts but this revenue- generating Test match will boost their bargaining power.
The departing head coach Simon Middleton offered an example of how far women’s rugby had come in the time he has been in charge of the team
Prop Hannah Botterman said the ultimate aim was to play all of their games at Twickenham
Asked if the players deserve to earn more, Botterman said: ‘There are ongoing talks, but we’re just wanting to keep the fans happy. I don’t think any of the girls really understood what 58,000 looks like because we’ve never had it. It was so good.’
The pay aspect must be handled with care, too. Smart, sustainable decisions are required, to ensure the women’s game doesn’t live beyond its means. Credit should go to the RFU for offering professional contracts and the support systems which the Red Roses have needed to flourish.
Others have not been so progressive. The Irish officials who spoke dismissively about women’s rugby should be made to watch Saturday’s match on repeat, to understand what they are missing out on.
Drua produce stirring fightback
On the other side of the world, another women’s team — Fijiana Drua — produced a stirring feat of their own on Sunday.
Days after having to rely on the support of strangers to feed them in Queensland after disruption to their funding, the defending Super W title holders fought back from a 17-0 deficit to beat hosts and favourites the Waratahs in Sydney.
The Drua are through to Saturday’s grand final in Townsville, in defiance of the financial upheaval which has rocked Fijian rugby — leading to the resignation of leading union officials, as the country’s justice minister has stepped in to oversee the troubled national governing body.
Fijian Drua produced a remarkable fightback despite the myriad issues besetting the game in their own country
Proposed takeover of Worcester Warriors is a blatant land-grab
Tuesday is the deadline for the proposed buy-out of Worcester Warriors by the Atlas consortium. It may all turn out fine but that appears unlikely. This column will take a punt and predict that the transaction does not go through, which would create fresh chaos, but would be for the best in the long run.
It is obvious that, despite what the official administrators concluded in their ‘wisdom’, Atlas are not willing or able to mount a rescue mission in Worcester. Their proposed takeover is a blatant land-grab and it should not be allowed.
Hopefully, if the prospective new owners admit defeat, the Warriors will go back on sale and a better solution will be found. Steve Diamond fronted a compelling bid months ago and maybe it’s not too late for him to step back in. There are ramifications for Wasps, too, if they are to become tenants at Sixways. This has all dragged on far too long. The cowboys have been exposed and hopefully, this week, Atlas will find themselves at a dead end.
Last word
Here’s hoping Springboks captain Siya Kolisi can recover from knee surgery in time for his country’s defence of their title this autumn. The World Cup needs Kolisi.
He is arguably the current player who transcends his sport more than any other, having become an iconic figure when he lifted the Webb Ellis Cup in Yokohama in 2019. He has a profile beyond the boundaries of rugby. The All Blacks haven’t had anyone in that category since the retirements of Sonny Bill Williams and Dan Carter.
In France, Antoine Dupont has reached God-like status, but he is not widely known by non-rugby folk outside of his country. Maro Itoje and Marcus Smith are box-office figures in England, but far from being household names. Kolisi — South Africa’s first black captain — is a talisman for the Boks and the game as a whole. The grandest event won’t be the same without him.
The Rugby World Cup needs identifiable stars – and there are none more so than Siya Kolisi
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