(Reuters) – England’s Rugby Football Union (RFU) has issued conditional offers for Sale Sharks Women and Worcester Warriors Women to join the Premier 15s for the 2023-24 season, it said on Wednesday.
Including Sale would help grow the game in the north, the RFU said.
Earlier in December, English rugby’s governing body had selected eight clubs instead of 10 to participate following a tender process, with four teams currently involved in the women’s rugby competition left out.
There was no place for Sale, Worcester, Wasps and Darlington Mowden Park Sharks, with the RFU saying that teams would still have a chance to join at a later stage.
“The tender panel made a strong recommendation for the RFU and Women’s Premier 15 Ltd (WP15) to explore how greater geographical spread could be provided in the league,” the RFU said in a statement.
“The RFU and WP15 recognise the need to grow the game in the north of England and acknowledge the challenges faced in the region.
“The RFU has therefore developed a package of support (…), which coupled with a strategy for further investment will allow Sale Sharks to adequately address the feedback from the tender panel.”
Worcester have recently secured funding to enable them to continue to operate, RFU added, and have also been offered a conditional place in the competition.
Worcester Warriors women said last month they would formally split from the men’s team after securing independent funding. The men’s team was relegated from the Premiership after the club went into administration in September.
“Given the importance of having a northern provision, we believe with the proposed support package Sale Sharks will be well placed to continue their work to develop and grow rugby in the region,” RFU Women’s Game Director Alex Teasdale said.
“Worcester narrowly missed out on being awarded a place in the initial tender. The club’s circumstances are now changing and we believe it is only fair to also offer to work with them.”
(Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk; Editing by Alex Richardson)
