CJ’s Column: New teams to emerge in reformed Women’s Super League?

The Women’s Super League (WSL) comprised of eight teams in the 2019 season: Bradford Bulls, Castleford Tigers, Featherstone Rovers, Leeds Rhinos, St Helens, York City Knights, Wakefield Trinity and Wigan Warriors. It was an interesting season and we all now wait in anticipation for the RFL to announce the teams and fixtures for 2020.

Warrington Wolves have secured their place in the top flight after winning the Championship and they will almost certainly advance up. However, there are also solid rumours that Huddersfield Giants will also take a place and become the 10^th team to progress up into the top league. This leaves a further two places. So, who will take those remaining slots and how do the RFL intend to play the league?

The options available are to split the league into two, the difference of the top four teams to the bottom four is evident. There appears to be a no man’s land between the two groups, this being similar to the NRL Women’s Premiership where there are only four teams that fight it out each season, with no plans to allow others into the top league.

I can’t help but think that if the RFL were to put an international points system in place, it may level out the teams and encourage players to join other teams in their areas. The system would work with each player being given an amount of points; each team have a maximum of 100 points to play each game. Thus, by using too many international players you will go over this quota and then lose points in the league. The RFL can’t enforce a cap due to the women not being paid (unpopular as it is). I believe this would level out the teams and prove the biggest problem in women’s rugby, other than no financial gain, is the demographics. York City Knights fall foul of this with the likes of Leeds Rhinos and Castleford Tigers winning the M62 corridor, as the vast number of female players come from those areas.

A strong rumour is that after every team has played each other once in the 2020 WSL, whoever reaches the top four would split off and the lower teams would in turn fight it out at the bottom. The last option is to leave the league exactly how it is. Last season the league kicked off quite late and I hope that by bringing in two more teams will shorten the length between playing. There are only so many friendlies you can play before they become stagnant. So who should take the other two spots in the WSL?

Hull FC’s media have reported of their wish to develop and their want to be promoted to the top flight. They have shared a recruitment drive for a pathway and are promoting it in dribs and drabs on the men’s official site. Regardless of their new interest in their women’s side, Hull FC ladies failed to reach a top four slot and ended bottom of the 2019 Championship league. I went to watch their final game which they narrowly lost by two points to Barrow Ladies, played at West Hull’s rugby club, and by my own admission their standard of rugby would not cut it in the top flight. To progress into the WSL there would have to be a mass shake up and more than a few hours a week put in this pre-season. Sam French, the appointed head coach, appears to have a lot of hard work on his hands.

Salford are yet to announce a female side; however, I am informed that they are in talks at the moment. Hull KR’s sound recruitment and the pathway saw them finish fifth in their first year in League One. Their patience and correct method of recruitment have stood them in good stead, showing steady progress, so the Robins are definitely on the verge of a place in the top league.

Elsewhere, Catalans women’s team were beaten in a friendly by Castleford Tigers 6-56 at the Gilbert Brutus Stadium last season. However, they showed a great sense of sportsmanship and proved they could put some points past a heavily-dominated international team. Could the St Esteve XIII Catalan make a move into the Super league alongside their male team? Logistically and financially is this attainable? We’ll have to wait and see.

Finally, there‘s Toronto. Could we see the Ravens come over to compete in the WSL? They recently toured Serbia and played in the World Cup but are also heavily dominated with international players. There will be even greater logistic problems with this and it’s unlikely they will receive the relevant funding to join.

So as the new season draws closer with each passing day, I and many of the other women’s players wait patiently for an announcement from the RFL. It’s vital that any potential new structure ensures the league is as competitive as possible, but also gives the game and the teams within it the chance to continue their development on and off the field. Hopefully the RFL will provide answers sooner rather than later.