Women's rugby void sees talent 'heading south'

Francesca Johnson-Harding says it is "heartbreaking" to watch young women moving south to play rugby

Women's rugby in north-east England is at risk of losing its best players due to a "lack of opportunities and sponsorship", a club chief has said.

Following the demise of Darlington Mowden Park Sharks in 2024, North East Women's XV has been trying to raise funding for an elite team.

The club's chair Francesca Johnson-Harding said sponsorship for women's rugby had "simply dried up" and left no opportunity for women "to continue to play at the highest level" in the North East.

Mrs Johnson-Harding, from Sedgefield, said it was "heartbreaking watching all the girls we've developed, all the talent we have, leave to play rugby down south".

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) said it was working with its partners and North East Women's XV "to implement a 10-year plan to grow rugby for women and girls in the region".

It said the plan included playing opportunities in universities, colleges and schools and for adults, talent identification and the feasibility of a North East Premiership Women's Rugby Club.

'Girls leaving'

The Sharks fell out of the top level of English rugby in 2023 having failed to meet funding criteria.

North East Women's XV was launched in 2024 and in the last year gained "huge traction" with support from the RFU and volunteers.

"But without sponsorship we have to pay for our kit, there is no funding for training between matches and we can't pay our coaches," Mrs Johnson-Harding said.

North East Women's XV "just need investment", Francesca Johnson-Harding said

She added it was "essential" young ladies who were developing in rugby careers in Northumberland, Durham and Yorkshire have somewhere local to play at the top level.

"These girls are leaving our region to attend universities elsewhere to play the level of rugby they need and that means we lose students and graduates, we lose engineers, we lose doctors, we lose educated young women."

"We just need some investment to support young women who want to study here, work here and play here."

The RFU said: "We are all totally committed to ensuring females in this part of England have the same opportunities to play and progress in the sport as anyone else in the country."