There can be few better qualified to pass judgment on the current state of women’s rugby than Gary Street. England’s head coach for their World Cup triumph in 2014, Street’s abrupt departure from the Rugby Football Union was at the time mystifying but since then he has climbed back to the top of the club game.
Harlequins’ toiling men’s side continue to be linked with Stuart Lancaster and in Street there is a perfect example of the benefits of employing a former England head coach. Alongside Karen Findlay, Street helped to lead Aylesford Bulls to the women’s title last season before partnering with Harlequins.
Under the pair’s guidance in the inaugural Tyrrells Premier 15s season Harlequins have reached the final, where they lock horns with Saracens – the top two in the regular season table by a distance booking the expected showdown with semi-final wins over Wasps and Gloucester-Hartpury respectively.
That tells only half the story of Harlequins’ success, however. On 10 March they attracted more than 4,500 to the Stoop for their victory against Richmond – a British record and a feat all the more impressive when you consider it took place on the same day as supporters of England Women travelled to France for an 18-17 Six Nations defeat that was watched by a crowd of more than 17,000.
Anyone who has been to the Stoop recently can attest that the women’s team is given just as much exposure as the men’s on billboards and posters around the ground, while the financial investment from the club – reportedly £250,000 – is commendable.
Harlequins hope Jess Breach is available for Saracens final showdown
“The support from Harlequins has been staggering – from the owners to the general manager to the CEO – it has been incredible,” says Street. “I genuinely didn’t think that in my lifetime a men’s Premiership club would support a women’s team the way that Quins do. It has taken me aback to be honest. Hopefully, we can bring the trophy home.”
The revamped Premier 15s has not been without its teething problems but a final between the best two teams in the division should make for a bumper crowd at Ealing Trailfinders, not least because both sides are locally based.
The £2.4m investment from the RFU into the league is primarily used to improve the infrastructure of the 10 sides, but, despite the optimism, women’s rugby still feels in a state of flux. If the Premier 15s has brought a breath of fresh air it has not totally masked the bad smell that came as a result of the RFU’s decision to alter its funding policy. This past week the blazers convened to hammer out a way forward after a season when England – shorn of their sevens players – relinquished their Six Nations title, while those in the shortened form have hardly set the world alight on the sevens circuit. It remains to be seen if the two can coexist .
“Friends of mine that, even when I was England coach, didn’t know there was a women’s Premier League now know there is one,” Street says. “It has been a huge acknowledgement of a league programme as well as the international stuff. The investment has been fantastic.
“There’s still work to do, but it has made a huge difference in terms of infrastructure. I’m really hoping that will continue from external sponsors in what has definitely been a sea change in women’s sport over the last year or so – women’s rugby has been a big part of that.
“It’s important to get the mix right for XVs and sevens. I don’t think sevens is going away, but XVs is growing all the time – there’s a massive audience for it, as we saw with the World Cup final last year. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done to get it right.”
While Saracens topped the regular-season table by three points from Harlequins, the sides claimed away victories over each other during the campaign. It means Sunday’s final is likely to be a close encounter, ultimately decided by fine margins.
“It’s the ideal final, the two best teams who can beat each other on their day,” says Street. “I’ve worked hard for many years to get rid of the brackets – it’s going to be a good game of rugby, not open brackets, for ladies, just a good game of rugby full stop.”