Women’s Six Nations

Women’s sports are on an upward trajectory and this month sees the return of the 23rd edition of rugby’s Women’s Six Nations Championship. The competition is set to be fiercer than ever before; kicking-off on the 23rd of March until the 27th of April, with all the hard-hitting action available to watch live on the BBC.

History

Originally formed in the 1995-96 season, and called the ‘Home Nations‘, just four teams took part; England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. England was crowned champions in what was to be the start of their dominance.

In the 1998-99 season it became the Five Nations – with France joining the original four. The following season, Spain replaced Ireland for two seasons.

In 2001-02 the women’s Six Nations competition was born, with England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, and Wales playing after Ireland rejoined the competition. Spain, at that time, was higher ranked than Italy and therefore deserved their place in the competition on merit.

In 2006, a championship trophy was commissioned from world renowned elite sporting trophy silversmith Thomas Lyte, to be followed by a second trophy commissioned for the Under 20 Six Nations championship. The trophies are made from sterling silver and feature engraving details with the logos of the competing countries. 

In 2007, the Six Nations committee formally adopted Italy as the sixth national team member in the championship, replacing Spain, which aligned the women’s competition with the men’s. 

England, or the ‘Red Roses’ as they are affectionately known, have been the most successful women’s team in the competition, winning 19 of 28 editions entering 2024. France has won 6 championships; Ireland 2, and Scotland has won 1.

As public interest has gathered momentum, crowd attendance has naturally increased year on year. 2023 was a pivotal year, with a record women’s attendance of 58,948 for England in their first standalone fixture in which they narrowly defeated France 38-33 at Twickenham. This thrilling game saw England hang on when the French staged a dramatic comeback after trailing 33-0 at half-time.

So how much do the Red Roses get paid?

England’s senior women players have recently been given new three-year contracts which cover them through the 2025 World Cup which they will host. 32 contracts have been awarded which run through to 2026.

According to The Telegraph, contracts will be classified into five tiers on a sliding scale. Those in the highest bracket are to have their salaries boosted by 37 per cent to £45,000. This will increase to £49,500 by July 2025 when the World Cup starts. The newspaper reports that those on existing deals will see their pay increase by more than a third this year should they stay in the same band, while players will receive a guaranteed payment of £1,500 for international appearances. If England goes on to win this year’s Six Nations, the players will receive a £2,200 bonus – a figure that will increase to £6,500 if they win another Grand Slam under the current coaches’ leadership. This means that some of the players could earn up to £63,500 for the 2023/24 season on top of their base salary should they be part of the Six Nations winning team. 

There is also an agreement around revenue sharing if business targets are exceeded. Players selected for the World Cup squad will be awarded £5,000 plus a further £15,000 bonus should they lift the trophy. “The new contracts are a significant development and a mark of the advancement in the women’s game since they were first awarded“, according to executive director of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) Conor O’Shea.

In comparison, a male England rugby player receives a match fee of about £23,000 per game, plus a bonus based on performance and results. In 2023, the men’s team played 16 games.

The men’s Six Nations is well underway. After the first two rounds, Ireland topped the group unbeaten, and were the bookies’ favourites to retain the title.

The Great Debate: equality for sportswomen

Should female sports stars be paid the same as men?

The principle in the UK of equal pay for equal work has been active in legislation for over five decades – however in professional sports there continue to be significant disparities in pay between UK men and women. So, should female sports stars be paid the same as men?

YES

If sportswomen are paid fairly, it sends a powerful message that they are as valued and respected as their male counterparts. This could help break down gender stereotypes and promote greater equality. The highest-paid female footballer is Chelsea’s Sam Kerr who is paid £417,000 per year. Cristiano Ronaldo currently earns £260 million per year.

The Women’s Sports Found-ation says that by the age of 14, girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys. Another survey found that 51% of women quit playing sports by the age of 17.

It’s possible many women do not see sports as a space for them. Even if women do stay in their sports, they generally don’t think they are worthy of professional-level pay since they are unlikely to see themselves on television. 

The winners of the men’s singles and the women’s singles at Wimbledon last year were paid the same amount of money – £2.35 million. So why can’t all other sports follow suit?

 NO

It’s simply a matter of economics. The amount sports stars are paid is directly related to how much money they can generate through merchandising, ticket sales and TV coverage. In team sports, if a player makes the club more successful, the club’s share price is also likely to increase. 

Nobody can dispute the fact that female athletes are incredibly talented and hard-working, however physical limitations unfortunately keep them from providing the same viewing experience. A TV station will promote whatever brings in the most viewers. More viewers mean more money for the station and the organisation.

In the US, men make up more than half the audience for the WNBA (women’s basketball) WPGA (women’s golf) and women’s soccer.

The average annual salary for a WNBA player is just over $100,000, compared to the average salary of $7 million in the NBA (men’s basketball). However the WNBA, as an organisation, loses $10 million a year with costs far outweighing revenue.

In comparison, the NBA profits are about $8 billion a year. The NBA owns the WNBA and as they fail to make a profit, it is effectively run as a charity.

For the FIFA World Cup, the men’s tournament brought in £4.74 billion; with £17 million going to the participating teams. The women’s tournament brought in £103 million; with £23.7 million going to the teams. This shows that the women’s teams received a higher percentage of the overall revenue than the men’s teams, but it doesn’t really help matters.