Details from the Welsh Rugby Union's sealed review into Welsh women's rugby have been released for the first time amid a damning Senedd report into issues of sexism at the governing body.
Wales Women have been going from strength to strength since first turning professional in January 2022, with 12 historic full-time WRU contracts awarded that month, a number which rose to 25 for this calendar year. Now ranked at a record high of sixth in the world, Wales Women have provided a much-needed positive to Welsh rugby in a season of otherwise doom and gloom.
But cast your minds back to the 2021 Covid-condensed Women's Six Nations, and it was a very different story. Wales were amateur and many balanced rugby alongside full-time jobs, their coaching staff came and went through what seemed like a revolving door, and the gap between them and the likes of England and France was just growing and growing. That tournament saw Wales lose 53-0 to France, unsurprising given Les Bleuses were semi-professional at the time, but then Wales lost 45-0 at home to fellow amateurs Ireland, a side they really should have been competing against.
