The England women’s rugby team have reached such a crisis point in their negotiations with the RFU over turning professional that the players are considering refusing to sign contracts for the new season. With the start of the season only a month away, and no contracts yet forthcoming, some players do not know whether to continue with their jobs or if they are going to become full-time professionals.

The players feel disenfranchised and disrespected and the message from within the group is that the promises made to them over turning professional are not being honoured. They also feel caught in the middle of conflicting information.

On Monday, they were astonished to read that Steve Brown, the RFU chief executive, was intending to reintroduce full-time professional