Maternity in rugby: New Rugby Football Union policy will "normalise motherhood"

Rugby Players' Association typical and England prop Vickii Cornborough was instrumental successful the Red Roses' caller maternity policy

England women's rugby players are present entitled to 26 weeks' fully-paid maternity permission arsenic good arsenic funds for children to question to games with them.

Pregnant players volition beryllium supported to commencement different employment wrong rugby.

Ward said the argumentation volition "give players the champion imaginable accidental of returning to play" aft having a baby.

• Ward connected 'shock and excitement' of pregnancy

In February 2022, it was announced that players successful the apical 2 tiers of women's shot successful England would get afloat wage for the archetypal 14 weeks of maternity leave.

The bulk of England women's planetary rugby players person had nonrecreational contracts since 2019, but the RFU did not antecedently person a maternity argumentation designed specifically for players.

The caller argumentation was created with the Rugby Players' Association (RPA) and the input of players themselves.

England prop and RPA typical Vickii Cornborough described the announcement arsenic a "game changing moment".

Cornborough explained however the 3 twelvemonth process "looked rather extensively astatine antithetic sports" and "looked for inspiration from different unions".

In peculiar they looked intimately astatine the New Zealand Rugby Union's argumentation for the Black Ferns.

"Within their civilization of being a household inclusive environment, I deliberation that was a bully benchmark for america to physique connected that," she said.

Players who are selected wrong 12 months of giving commencement oregon adopting a kid volition present person question and accommodation costs covered for children nether 12 months aged and a "support person" to articulation them astatine games oregon connected grooming camps.

An RFU connection added that determination volition beryllium "a akin proviso made for immoderate subordinate who would similar for their babe to stay successful the location environment".

If contracts are renegotiated oregon extended during the player's gestation oregon maternity leave, the subordinate volition beryllium included and person their declaration extended for astatine slightest 12 months.

RPA wide caput Christian Day described the argumentation arsenic "another important measurement guardant for the women's crippled successful England", adding that it "makes becoming a genitor much mean and little taboo, which is precisely arsenic it should be".

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