Premier 15s: Welsh & Scottish clubs may join league

England’s top-flight Premier 15s league could include sides from Wales and Scotland in the future.

The 2019-20 season was declared null and void because of coronavirus.

“We’ve spoken to Wales and Scotland, and we are having ongoing discussions about how we can continue to develop and push things forward,” the Rugby Football Union’s head of women’s performance Nicky Ponsford said.

The Premier 15s’ goal is financial sustainability in 10 years’ time.

Ponsford added to BBC Sport: “If we can achieve those things then I think we’ll be in a really good place and it might be that we end up with those teams in there.”

Asked if two Welsh women’s ‘super clubs’ could join the league, Welsh Rugby Union performance director Ryan Jones said: “Yes, I think it is a possibility.

“We’ve got a great working relationship with the RFU and we’ve both got strong intent there and we’ve all got a role to play for us to genuinely grow the game.

“We need all the unions to be competitive and we’re working towards supporting each other to achieve that.”

As Wales look for a new women’s head coach and plan for their women to go professional in the future, the WRU has been openly encouraging their top players to join the Premier 15s.

Bristol Bears Women benefit from the M4 corridor and will have 11 Welsh internationals next season, including Wales captain Siwan Lillicrap.

Lillicrap has told BBC Wales: “If we have a cross-border competition, it’ll boost the profile across the world.”

Jones said: “We have got some talented athletes in Wales and the best domestic competition we have is the Premier 15s.

“We are establishing good relationships with the likes of Bristol Bears and others where a significant amount of our ladies play and we will develop that link.”

The RFU is keen to help other unions improve their women’s programmes and Ponsford is happy with the influx of players into the Premier 15s.

She added: “If England continue to get stronger and stronger and nobody else is in that position – other than potentially France – then I don’t think we’re doing the right thing.

“Every time we go out on the pitch, whilst I want England to win, I actually want it to be a really competitive game, and I want us to be challenged. So, if we can do things that support the development of Welsh players and Scottish players – not to the detriment of England players, or to the detriment of England talent – I think it’s important that we do that.”