Why England’s defeats cannot be blamed on the PWR having too many Canadian players

Jacob Bassford of The Rugby Paper argues that England head coach John Mitchell is wrong to blame Canadian players in Premiership Women's Rugby for England's consecutive test defeats against Canada. Mitchell suggested the high number of Canadian PWR players hurts England's long-term prospects after the Red Roses suffered two losses and a draw against Canada. The writer asserts that Mitchell's comments deflect from England's tactical inflexibility and inability to counter Canada's strategy against their maul.

Bassford further contends that the Rugby Football Union should expand its central contracts to build better squad depth rather than limit overseas talent. He notes that the semi-professional nature of the league requires international talent, and limiting foreign players would decrease the league's overall quality and competitiveness.