Former England full-back Danielle Waterman has launched a players union for women in the Premier 15's.
The Women's Rugby Association (WRA) will support members with legal, medical and welfare support, starting at £1 per year.
Players contracted by England women can join the Rugby Players Association, but this has not been an option for amateur or semi-professional players in the Premier 15s, which is the top tier of the English club game.
The WRA approached the RPA to see if it could provide a service for all Premier 15s players, but Waterman explained it could not “deliver that from a resource perspective, so it was a matter of cracking on, getting it done”.
There have been calls for better support and to standardise contracts across the Premier 15s league, with each club currently offering different packages.
In March, Wales and Bristol Bears flanker Alisha Butchers had to crowd fund her surgery following an ankle ligament damage.
Waterman hopes the WRA can bring in “minimum standards across the league” and says conversations with the RFU have been “incredibly supportive”.
While Waterman has been named chief executive, she is launching the WRA with Emma Lax, Polly Barnes and Holly Hammill.
The four founders and directors are all volunteers and have formed the WRA in less than 10 months.
They were only able to meet in-person for the first time on the eve of the union's launch.
