Sabida Kabeya is one of the most exciting young players in England. Photo: Getty Images/Michael Bradley
Rising rugby star Sadia Kabeya is among 32 England players to sign historic wage deals with the Rugby Football Union.
Kabea burst onto the international scene in 2021 and established herself as one of the hottest young talents before being named to the Red Roses World Cup team last year.
At 21 years old, the fickle winger is already seen as the poster girl for the 2025 Rugby World Cup to be hosted by England and has already won several awards in her relatively short career.
Kabeya received one of 32 full-time contracts, which were significantly upgraded after several months of negotiations between the Rugby Players Association, the RFU and the Red Roses' five-member players' committee.
New deals between £37,000 and £45,000 are also a reflection of the Red Roses' skyrocketing popularity, with almost 60,000 people watching at Twickenham during their Six Nations Grand Slam win over France in April last year.
Along with Kabeya, seasoned Sevens international Meg Jones is a surprise addition, with Mackenzie Carson, Saracens mainstay Kelsey Clifford and Gloucester-Hartpury cornerback Emma Sing also making deals.
Natasha Hunt, the midfielder of the scrum that led Gloucester-Hartpury to the Women's Rugby Premier League title last month, is one of the high-profile players who squandered the opportunity, though the RFU are offering two additional contracts in favor of the end of the year.
Hunt, who also came as a shock to England at the World Cup last fall, has previously spoken of her desire to pursue an international career.
Natasha Hunt played for England 55 times. Photo: Getty Images/Chris Ricco
The contracts have been split into five tiers on a sliding scale, although Telegraph Sport understands only three players are at the top of the £45,000 reward package. That figure will rise to £49,600 by July 2025 when England hosts the Women's World Cup.
After Telegraph Sport discovered a loophole in the Red Roses' contracts last fall, players will be guaranteed a total £1,500 payout for international appearances.
They will also receive £2,200 for winning the 2024 Six Nations, rising to £6,500 for the Grand Slam. Six players have also been awarded transitional contracts worth £10,000 each, meant to support the Red Roses' start-ups in their early professional journey and provide part of their week for focused rugby development.
Christian Day, Secretary General of the RPA, who was actively involved in the discussions, described the process as a «tough negotiating space» and said the contracts were being compared to the models used by France and New Zealand. rugby unions for their women's programs.
«About two years ago, I made a commitment to support the women's team in the same way as the men's team,» Day told Telegraph Sport.
“It is this element of co-creation that we are promoting very strongly in the men's game now, so that the players are not perceived as employees, but as partners.”
“I want to be clear: The Red Roses are by no means unprofitable. The women's game is receiving significant investment because this is an area of growth for the game. For me, this is a fair reflection of not only their value on the field, but also off it. In a year of turbulence, they were the bright light for rugby in this country and they deserve what they got.”
Telegraph Sport analysis
After the collapse of three Premier League men's clubs last season, money is a sensitive topic of discussion in rugby right now, and even more so when it comes to the women's game.
At a time when rugby's finances are collapsing, why would the RFU invest record amounts in its women's program?
Let's look at it through the lens of business. If the male game is like an established enterprise, creaking due to its own failed business model and drowning in debt, then the female game is a startup in the early stages of its work from a clean slate. The number of participants is growing and the sport is attracting new audiences.
During an important Red Roses day at Twickenham earlier this year, when the RFU is said to have made a modest profit, there were five times as many first game purchases than in England. men's match.
There's also a real sense that the Red Roses players themselves are starting to realize their worth, and not just be grateful for any old paycheck they're thrown away.
Indeed, the final deal negotiated for players in the second and third pay brackets was around £10,000 higher than what was on the table after the initial talks with the RFU in February of this year. These new deals aren't megabucks, but at least players can now earn wages to live on.
The highest-paid Grand Slam-winning England players, on top of their base salary, could earn an unprecedented £63,500 in the 2023-24 season, more than some players in the men's championships earn and almost unheard of in women's rugby.
Not too long ago, women were barely paid a dime and had to wash their own clothes. For players like Sadiya Kabeya, who can finally call herself a professional rugby player, this is an important moment in the development of the women's game.
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