In return the RFUW will be expected to deliver results and focus on delivering Sport England's 'Whole Sport Plan', which is designed to deliver opportunities for people to start in sport, to stay in sport and succeed in sport.

Two recent appointments within the organisation have demonstrated an infrastructure commitment by the RFUW Board with Carol Isherwood OBE as Rugby Director and Nicky Ponsford MBE as World Class Manager. The management team at the RFUW are now in a strong position to work with the RFU and other key stakeholders to ensure a long-term sustainability of the women's game.
 
Francis Baron said, "The RFUW's work at the grass roots of their sport has to be applauded as it is proving to be an essential plank of their development work to encourage girls and women of all ages to get involved in the game. Their funding from Sport England is totally deserved and we will continue to work closely with the RFUW to ensure that they continue to prosper at domestic and international level"
 
Roger Draper, Sport England CEO, said: "Rugby is one of the 10 Sport England key sports which we recently announced will receive prioritised investment from Sport England. In return for this we expect all governing bodies to be accountable for the public funding they receive and deliver agreed sporting outcomes.
 
"A key part of this is working with the sports to develop Whole Sport Plans and this is why I am delighted to hear the RFUW are taking the initiative and focusing on how they can achieve the aims set out in Game Plan and deliver a transparent business plan for their sport. I look forward to seeing the outcomes of this work over the coming months.
 
"The England women's rugby team are one of our most successful national teams and I wish them all the best as they prepare to defend their Grand Slam title in the Six Nations. International success is one of the key objectives we want all sports to deliver, along with increasing participation, so I hope young girls across the country will watch the England rugby team in action and be inspired to try the sport. "

Managing Director of the RFUW, Rosie Williams: "The Board and senior staff have instigated a number of changes in the management and structure of the organisation that will allow us to deliver a better product to our members. We are excited about the new initiatives in place such as the Regional Program and are also looking forward to a successful World Cup bid and all the positive spin offs that come from that."
 
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For more information contact Melanie Berry on 0115 9161615