Page 18 - RFU Annual Report 2017

16
Strategic Report

CEO’s Review of the Year

Steve Brown
CEO

I took up the role of Chief Executive including a convincing victory over The campaign inspired thousands of
Officer on 4 September, succeeding Canada in front of a Twickenham women to take up rugby and attend
Ian Ritchie who announced his crowd of almost 12,000. Warrior Camps in August. More
retirement earlier this year and who women and girls are playing rugby
presided over a very successful last By the end of the Six Nations, than ever before and our women’s
year in office. England had won a second team are important role models,
successive title and are aiming with the number of women and girls
Ian’s contribution to the game and to become the first side to make taking part rising to 26,000, with 550
the RFU has left us in a very good that three in a row. The tour to teams in 300 clubs.
place, and I am delighted to follow Argentina, with 16 England players
him and to lead a sport I love, in an on British & Irish Lions duty, This is a really exciting time for
organisation I have been proud to highlighted our strength in depth women’s rugby in England and the
work in for over the past six years. and saw no less than 11 players RFU has made a multimillion pound
making their debuts as England investment in women’s rugby over
We were extremely fortunate to go secured a 2-0 series victory over the past three years, increasing
into the season having hosted the the Pumas. year on year for both the elite and
most successful Rugby World Cup community game.
in history, providing a £93 million Our England U20s achieved a Grand
surplus for World Rugby and a £26 Slam en route to the World Rugby We announced the first professional
million surplus for us to invest in the U20 Championship, reaching the women’s player contracts following
development of rugby in England. final despite the absence of players the Women’s Rugby World Cup
called up to the senior team and in 2014, with contracts for sevens
The tournament also served as a through injury. players to give them the best
tremendous shop window for our preparation for the Olympic Games
sport, helping to create the current We are immensely proud of England in Rio.
period of healthy participation in Women’s achievements. The Red
the community game, backed by Roses secured a Six Nations With the women’s game working in
an upward trend across younger Grand Slam and returned from cycles between the 15s and sevens
age-groups. This last season alone the International Women’s Rugby programmes for the 2016/17 season,
has seen an additional 160 new Series in New Zealand as number 48 professional player contracts were
adult male teams in our clubs – each one in the world, after completing awarded for the 15-a-side game as
playing at least seven games. a clean sweep against Australia, part of the ongoing commitment to
Canada and the Black Ferns. professionalising women’s rugby and
Since Eddie Jones took over as to give the Red Roses the best chance
England head coach, the team’s England defeated Spain, Italy, USA of retaining the World Cup.
ensuing success has also had a real and France on their way to the
impact throughout the game, and Women’s Rugby World Cup final in With the approach of the 2018
huge credit must go to Eddie and his Belfast. Despite the disappointment Rugby World Cup Sevens and
coaching team. of falling 32-41 to New Zealand, Commonwealth Games, followed
after leading 17-10 at the break, by the Olympics, next year will see
At the end of last season, we nobody could fault the players’ effort 17 professional, full-time fixed-
celebrated England’s three-match throughout the competition. Red term sevens contracts to prepare
tour and whitewash of Australia. Roses head coach Simon Middleton, England to compete in the big
While at Manchester’s AJ Bell his management and squad gave us global tournaments on the horizon.
Stadium, England U20s became a game of huge quality at Kingspan Contracts will then revert to 15s
World Rugby U20 Champions for Stadium where the lead changed five contracts to prepare for the next big
the third time in four seasons. And times over the course of the match. global tournament: the Women’s
on their June tour, England Saxons Rugby World Cup.
secured a 2-0 series win against It was an amazing occasion for the
South Africa A. game and a fantastic match for I am also delighted that our Red
the spectators to watch. The final, Roses rebrand during Women’s
A perfect Old Mutual Wealth Series broadcast on Saturday night prime Sports Week last October won
for England concluded with victory time on ITV, had a peak audience of Media Initiative of the Year at the
over the Wallabies, while England 2,651,000, with an average audience #BeAGameChanger Awards, hosted
Women finished their autumn with of 1,854,000, which is 11.8% share by the Women’s Sport Trust. The
three wins from four Tests, of viewers. new Canterbury England kit, also for
the first time, included a custom-fit
women’s version.

Annual Report 2017