RFU announce extended and enhanced contracts for England’s Red Roses players

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) have announced a landmark agreement has been reached to offer England’s Red Roses players better and longer contracts to help develop the sport.

These new contracts have been referred to as ‘groundbreaking’ by Christian Day, general secretary of the Rugby Players’ Association, and he’s certainly not wrong as the best of the best in Women’s rugby, deserve to be paid as if they are.

It’s said that these new contracts will run for three seasons before then being reviewed closer to that time and reassessed accordingly, but for now 32 players – increased from 30 – will be handed these new enhanced and extended deals.

The list of players who will be on these new and improved deals is to be released in July, but the RFU have insisted that two players on maternity leave will see their contracts extended alongside these 32 Red Roses players.

This is a huge step forward in the world of women’s rugby as it shows, not just England, but the rest of the world that they are trying to set the standard and become a driving force for change and empowerment in the sport.

While the big news is about these brand new and exciting contacts, the RFU have also not stopped there with the board also offering out six ‘transitional contracts’ to younger players as they look to support the next generation of players into the England setup.

RFU announce ‘groundbreaking’ contracts for Red Roses

Further details have emerged about the 32 contracts which shows what they actually mean and the type of money players can expect to be receiving as they will include:

Significant enhancements to their salaries cover, match fees, Rugby World Cup 2025 arrangements, commercial and community engagement initiatives as well as revenue sharing if business targets are met.

This certainly isn’t just something the RFU have done as a PR move and to make themselves look good within rugby and Women’s sport, but it’s a meaningful step forward that shows how elite female athletes should be paid and looked after.