There are few better examples of how women’s sport is still adjusting to post-pandemic life than Shaunagh Brown. This time last year, the Harlequins prop was one of many in the Premier 15s playing under adapted law variations designed to reduce Covid transmission, which included fewer scrums and 35-minute halves.
“If it was an option between no crowds and law variations, I would choose [the] normal game and no crowds,” said Brown, who was involved with but did not start any of England’s recent autumn games.
“Personally, it affected me so much last year with scrums. I’m still learning how to scrum and not being able to do it week in, week out, sometimes 25 times a game, it affected my development. I would certainly not want to go back to the old law variations.”
It remains to be seen whether such adaptations will be re-introduced in the wake of surging Covid cases driven by the Omicron variant. Granted, they would be a detriment to the Premier 15s in its most competitive season yet. Last week saw a stuttering Loughborough Lightning outfit shock league leaders Bristol Bears, while Harlequins upstaged rivals Saracens in their own backyard.
For the reigning Premier 15s champions, it was the ideal preparation before an historic match against Wasps at the home of English rugby on Monday.
The festive fixture – which forms part of Harlequins’ annual ‘Big Game’ double-header – will be the first competitive Premier 15s match ever staged at Twickenham. In another first, the women’s fixture has been granted equal television billing as Harlequins’ men’s game against Northampton Saints, with BT Sport showing both games.
For Brown, who six months ago implored broadcasters to “put women on a platform” during a rousing post-match interview after helping Harlequins to their maiden Premier 15s title, TV parity is a welcome step.
