What next for England & women's rugby after World Cup?

2 years ago 46

England skipper Sarah Hunter said the latest Rugby World Cup made her consciousness similar "finally radical are conscionable waking up to however large our athletics is".

Rugby Football Union main enforcement Bill Sweeney agreed, saying the nail-biting last was "probably much entertaining than the men's game".

The tourney successful New Zealand was the best-attended women's World Cup ever, breaking the attendance grounds for a women's matchday doubly - the opening-day attendance of 34,235 surpassed by the 42,579 sell-out Eden Park assemblage for the final.

A turning constituent for women's rugby, but determination is much to come.

Here, BBC Sport explores immoderate of the main questions concerning the aboriginal of the crippled and England's squad aft their 5th World Cup last nonaccomplishment to New Zealand.

Will the England squad alteration aft World Cup defeat?

None of the Red Roses person announced their status since the final, but 37-year-old Hunter has already confirmed she volition halt playing earlier a location World Cup successful 2025.

Abbie Ward - a cardinal subordinate successful England's formidable line-out - says she volition "100%" proceed until the adjacent World Cup, portion prima centre Emily Scarratt, who is 32, is undecided.

She said losing a 2nd successive last to New Zealand was "certainly a driving unit to triumph a World Cup".

Scarratt said: "I said to my mum erstwhile I saw her and gave her a large hug: 'Brace yourself, we mightiness person to bash different 3 years of this.'

"It's decidedly not a determination to beryllium made now. We'll see."

Head manager Simon Middleton has besides mislaid 2 World Cup finals successful a row, and helium is yet to corroborate whether helium wants to enactment astatine the helm.

Middleton, whose reign has included a grounds 30-Test winning streak and 4 successive Six Nations titles, has a declaration until the extremity of the 2023 Women's Six Nations.

Sweeney told BBC Radio 5 Live it was "important to person immoderate continuity" aft the World Cup, adding it "would beryllium bully to person a woman" starring England "at immoderate point".

He said determination was "a raft of coaches" connected the RFU's radar to win Middleton and confirmed helium would sermon the caput coach's aboriginal erstwhile helium is backmost successful England.

Will England's nonaccomplishment impact investment?

The RFU has led the mode successful investing successful women's rugby since giving the Red Roses full-time contracts successful 2019.

Other sides, including Wales and New Zealand, are present pursuing suit successful making their women's teams professional.

The Black Ferns were lone fixed contracts earlier this year, and Sweeney said it was "a spot disappointing" they won the World Cup contempt a comparative deficiency of investment.

With the crippled inactive growing, some the Red Roses and the World Cup successful New Zealand were tally astatine a loss.

But Sweeney said England's last nonaccomplishment "won't alteration the views connected investment", adding 70% of the fans astatine Eden Park connected Saturday were caller followers for New Zealand Rugby and women's rugby "is bully for the wide wellness of the game".

World Rugby main enforcement Alan Gilpin said the occurrence of the tourney successful New Zealand had "given america assurance to put more".

When tin you adjacent spot England successful action?

In 2 weeks, England's players tin instrumentality to play for their clubs successful the Premier 15s - the astir competitory women's home league successful the world, which is besides benefiting from accrued RFU investment.

Their adjacent planetary outing volition beryllium successful the 2023 Women's Six Nations, which starts connected 26 March 2023.

In that tournament, England volition circuit the state arsenic they play successful Newcastle and Northampton earlier a archetypal standalone fixture astatine Twickenham against France successful what is apt to beryllium the decider.

About 20,000 tickets person been sold for the Twickenham game, and Sweeney is assured that fig volition scope 40,000 - fractional the stadium's capacity.

The RFU is besides hopeful it tin big World Rugby's caller women's contention WXV successful 2024, successful mentation for a location World Cup successful 2025.

Sweeney is aiming for the 2025 World Cup to interruption adjacent and says "we volition capable Twickenham" for the last "and hopefully for the semi-final arsenic well".

Before that, the program is to big matches successful antithetic regions astir the state successful what Sweeney says volition beryllium "the champion ever women's World Cup".