Harlequins have approved a name change for their Tyrrell Premier 15s side, from ‘Harlequins Ladies’ to ‘Harlequins Women‘.
The move comes as a result of the ongoing revolution of women’s rugby in the league which, for the large part, was ramped up by the RFU‘s decision to re-introduce professional contracts to 28 members of the Red Roses team.
Harlequins emphasised the move brings the team in line with their identity and desire to achieve gender equality in the sport.
Head coach Karen Findlay commented: “It’s fantastic that the Club has worked with the RFU to secure this change to our name; an imperative aspect for us as we enter the next phase of revolutionising our great sport.
“Our name is our identity, it’s what we stand for and what we are about. We have great strong female role models who are ambassadors for the game and who are significantly contributing to inspiring the next generation of female players coming through. It is therefore right that the name reflects that shared sense of purpose.”
Harlequins chief executive David Ellis added: “This is another move which demonstrates our ambition in this area of our sport.
“We are already at the forefront of the women’s game, providing the best playing environment and ensuring the women’s players and programmes are fully integrated across the whole Club. Now is our time to make another step change and set our intent for the future of the sport.”
