The RFU announces 10 clubs to play in new Women's Super Rugby

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has announced that 10 clubs have been offered a place, subject to contract, in the new women’s domestic competition from September 2017.

Women’s Super Rugby is a major development for the women’s game in England and will significantly raise the standards of rugby domestically and help support the Red Roses’ ambition to be the number one team in the world, along with growing participation numbers.

All applicants will be required to deliver against a set of minimum operating standards, which are designed to create an infrastructure within the clubs to support an increasingly professional game.

The competition's structure has all the teams playing each other on a home and away basis. The top four teams at the end of the home-and-way season qualify for the play-offs which follow a 1 v 4, 2 v 3 system. All clubs must meet the RFU's Minimum Standards Criteria to remain in the competition. There is no promotion or relegation in the first two seasons of the competition.

Following a rigorous and independently-chaired application process, the 10 successful teams that have been offered a place in the Women’s Super Rugby, subject to contract, are:

• Bristol Ladies Rugby Ltd
• Darlington Mowden Park Sharks
• Firwood Waterloo Ladies
• Harlequin FC
• Gloucester-Hartpury Women’s RFC
• Loughborough Students (Lightning)
• Richmond FC
• Saracens Women
• Wasps FC Ladies
• Worcester Valkyries