The shadow sports minister has urged the Rugby Football Union to reconsider its decision not to renew the contracts of England’s women’s XV players.

In a letter Dr Rosena Allin-Khan tells chief executive Ian Ritchie of her “deep concern”.

Despite England preparing to defend the World Cup next month, the RFU said its focus will switch to the sevens game after the tournament.

“To make this decision is deeply disappointing,” wrote Allin-Khan.

“Asking players to pause and resume their professions every two years puts their futures at considerable risk.”

The RFU, which announced record revenues last year of more than £400m, said its priorities shift between the XVs and sevens programmes, with the World Cup Sevens and Commonwealth Games taking place next year.

It said the England XV side will continue to take part in competitions, and that it has invested millions of pounds in the women’s game, including £800,000 annually on a new domestic competition aimed at increasing and improving the talent pool available for selection for England.

But Allin-Khan wrote: “The England women’s team are a source of inspiration to countless girls and women the length and breadth of the country.

“The players have played their part. Many left careers in other professions to commit themselves fully to representing their country.

“The RFU is placing the risk of playing international rugby on the players themselves.

“The most concerning aspect of this news is what it says about the RFU’s ongoing commitment to the women’s game. The discontinuation of these contracts sends the message that the RFU is far less than fully committed to the women’s game.

“We have come such a long way and the England women’s team have rewarded us with no less than world titles. We cannot fail them with a poverty of ambition or investment. We therefore strongly urge you to reconsider this decision.”

In a statement, RFU director of professional rugby Nigel Melville said: “The women’s squad were always aware that contracts would end in September, after the World Cup.

“The current XVs squad was informed in April that the next contracts will be focused on sevens, reflecting the cyclical nature of the women’s game.

“The squad fully understands the position and are focused on the World Cup in Ireland next month.”

Former players unhappy too:

The decision not to renew contracts for world champions England’s 15-a-side women’s team is a backward step, says former international Vicky MacQueen.

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) says its focus will switch to the sevens game after this year’s World Cup in Ireland, which starts next month.

“I feel a little bit gutted for the girls and the sport as a whole,” former full-back MacQueen said.

It is understood several current squad members will move to sevens contracts.

New XVs contracts will then be awarded in preparation for the 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

“It’s a shame for the sport that it’s not going to be moving forward. Why can’t the focus be on both disciplines? They are two totally different games,” said MacQueen, who was capped 34 times for England between 2004 and 2009.

“It’s a bit of a backward step. Those contracted girls have been focused fully on rugby – they are now going to have to balance it with their job again.”

World Cup winner Maggie Alphonsi said there should be more investment in the game.

“The RFU do pump a lot of money into the women’s game, which is fantastic,” said former England player Alphonsi, who retired in 2015.

“But it’s frustrating and disappointing to see there’s not an emphasis on both forms of the game – sevens and XVs.”

England, who won the World Cup for the first time in 20 years in 2014, begin their defence against Spain in Dublin on 9 August.

The contract news emerged at a time when there is increased focus on women’s sport, with England lifting the Women’s Cricket World Cup at Lord’s and the football side winning their first two matches at Euro 2017.

England named a 28-player squad in June for next month’s rugby tournament.

Fifty England players are on a mixture of full-time and part-time professional contracts, and only 17 full-time professional fixed-term deals are set to be handed out in September, purely for the sevens programme.

Current contracts include:

• 17 full-time fixed-term (season-long) deals – 15 XVs players, two sevens
• 17 short-term contracts for XVs players, mainly around specific tournaments
• 11 part-time sevens contracts
• Five ad-hoc contracts for both XVs and sevens

bbc