"You sense there will be wonderful occasions to come"

He has seen the transformation of the women's game and now Stephen Jones heralds a future where female stars know only a life of professionalism

- STEPHEN JONES

IT’S JUST a little too early to predict that the growing success of the now professional women’s arm of the sport could be used to financially bail out the struggling men’s pro game. But the time when rugby for women at the top level pays for itself may not be long delayed, and especially so in England.

And the sheer joy in the reaction of England squad players to the new contract arrangements announced by the RFU recently spoke volumes. “It is a great development and a reflection of how far things have moved on in the womens’ game,” said Sarah Bern, that phenomenon of nature who appears able to blast opposing props out of the contest while moving around the field at the speed of light.

England’s new contracts are fascinating. The names of the 32 players who will be contracted will be announced in July and contracts will be for up to three years – previously, almost all the deals were for a single season.

The deals will be graduated depending on experience and talent and they will be incentivised – there will be a bonus paid if the Red Roses win the Six Nations and a further bonus if they win a Grand Slam. We estimate that a Grand-Slamming England could yield a salary of up to £64K per year for at least some of the squad. This sum will not include match fees, which have also risen.