Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the number of women playing professional rugby in the UK that are (a) UK and (b) non-UK citizens; and what the (i) immigration and (b) visa status is of those non-UK citizen rugby players.

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) currently contracts 28 fifteen-a-side players and 13 seven-a-side players and these players must have the right to live and work in the UK. Currently there is no central database of professional contracts at club level but the RFU has informed us that a system is being developed.

It is important to note that any female players who are contracted to play professionally in England must be UK Nationals, EU Nationals or have the right to live and work in the UK through a route other than as a professional sportsperson.

There are no female professional rugby league players in the UK.