Ireland were the latest team to be thrashed by England when the two countries met on Saturday in the Women's Six Nations. Credit: Getty Images/Bob Bradford
England in this women's Six Nations race are giving off a vibe similar to Max Verstappen in Formula One. You may find what they do very impressive and appreciate the quality of their work, but at the same time feel a little put off by the lack of genuine competition.
England, on the verge of a sixth successive Six Nations title and on a run of 28 consecutive wins in the tournament, are not to blame for this debate, as Brian Moore points out in his column this week. But with England and France's championship duopoly set to continue regardless of who wins in Bordeaux this weekend (Ireland were the last team outside of that pairing to lift the trophy, and that was back in 2015), the lack of danger poses a major concern .< /p>
So what is the solution? Here are suggestions from Telegraph Sport experts.
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There is no simple solution, but one thing is clear: the women's game should not be limited to simply copying the structure of the men's game. Before the problems facing the Six Nations were resolved, there was a rush to create a British and Irish Lions team. The men's game is less flexible due to commercial realities, but why should the women's game revolve around the Six Nations? If that doesn't work, then why not consider expanding the tournament to include other European countries such as Spain and the Netherlands, and inviting New Zealand, Canada and Australia.
The men's Six Nations has become indoors, but that doesn't mean the women's tournament has to be the same, and it will add a new dimension on the field — and off it — for traveling fans. As it stands, fans and sponsors will be disappointed by a series of inconsistencies.
Yes, World Rugby launched the three-tier WXV competition last year, which aims to give countries more regular Test matches, but it has failed to find takers. The women's game needs to rethink this structure — start with a clean sheet of paper — and build a better narrative.
Combine male and female tables Make the Celtic Challenge completely professional
Unless there is significant investment from the Irish, Welsh and Scottish unions in women's rugby then it will be difficult to see a different outcome. The recent introduction of professional contracts has been a start and how can you not be encouraged by results such as Scotland winning Italy for the first time in 25 years? But when you consider the wages on offer for England players, which will rise to £50,000 for next year's Rugby World Cup, it's not a fair fight.
Perhaps the solution has already arrived. The launch last year of the Celtic Challenge, a women's cross-border competition between Ireland, Scotland and Wales, was intended as a stepping stone from age level to senior rugby and was received positively. The benefits of running the professional wing of this tournament appear to be enormous given that Irish, Scottish and Welsh players currently travel to the Women's Rugby Premier League for the same opportunities rather than play at home.
It needs major financial support and must remain small (the current Celtic Challenge has six teams taking part) to ensure talent and resources are not spread too thin. But it seems like the next logical step to ultimately improve each national team by giving them professional resources at club level to improve.
And then it will have to wait. Because it will take some time to reach a level where these other countries can compete with England and, to some extent, France.
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