Charge of leadership at RFUW

As noted by Vincent on the Eastern Counties blog, Carol Isherwood has announced that she is standing down as the RFUW's director of rugby. Carol has been involved in women's rugby, as player or administrator, since the very beginning.

To be pedantic and correct Vincent ever so slightly she was a founder member - the first Secretary no less - of the WRFU (not RFUW) from its formation in 1983. This was a unique UK-wide rugby union, but eventually broke up as first Ireland, then Scotland, and finally Wales left to form their own unions leaving England to establish its own union - the RFUW - in 1994. A minor quibble, but one which goes some way to explain the current union's slightly odd name.

As a player she was the first captain of the short-lived Great Britain international team (playing in all seven of their games between 1986 and 1989), and was also the first captain of England in 1987, gaining eight international caps with the red rose. She also gained an OBE for services to women's rugby in 2003.

So, how does this affect us, I hear you cry (even assuming you have read this far)? Well, in the short term not much - certainly not until Carol's post is filled. But in a small, tightly run game where the activities of the central governing body can have a significant effect on the grass roots any change will filter down pretty quickly. The RFUW is a still a very young organisation, and up until now has been inevitably run by the same people since its formation. Now the ball could be being passed to the next generation. New faces invariably bring in new viewpoints, and new ideas (it is rare that someone joins an organisation with the aim of keeping things as they are!). These ideas will affect the game, and the competitions, that you play. How? Who knows - but watch this space (or maybe this one!).