RFU to introduce full-time contracts for England Women

A total of 28 contracts will be available from 1 January, along with seven elite player squad agreements

England Women made it to the final of last year's women's World Cup (Getty Images)

The Rugby Football Union will introduce full-time contracts for England Women in what marks a first for the women’s 15-a-side game.

A total of 28 contracts will be available from 1 January, along with seven elite player squad agreements.

This follows the RFU’s decision to award 17 full-time sevens contracts for England Women in the 2018/19 season.

"We are at a tipping point for women's rugby globally and it is our ambition to be world number one and drive growth," RFU chief executive Steve Brown said.

"We are very much behind this and want to see the continued expansion and growth to realise the ambitious targets we have set ourselves."

Previously, contracts for the 15-a-side format were temporarily awarded according to the next major tournament.

This approach saw the RFU come under scrutiny after it decided against renewing contracts for England Women following their successful campaign at the 2017 World Cup.

Despite this, Brown had previously said it was the RFU’s “ambition” to award full-time contracts in both the 15-a-side and sevens format.

An RFU statement said that the new contracts would "drive standards in the game" at domestic and international level.

"Full-time contracts are a big step in ensuring we have the access to players to develop them and fulfil their potential," director of professional rugby Nigel Melville added.

All England players will be eligible to play for their clubs in the Tyrrells Premier 15s - the top-flight women's competition in England - and will return to the RFU for international duty.