England international Emily Scarratt has said she is “absolutely gutted” after Lichfield Ladies were left out of a new elite rugby competition.
Despite sitting second in the Women’s Premier League, the city side have been denied entry to the new Women’s Super Rugby league.
The club has produced a number of past and present internationals, including Emily Scarratt who said the decision was about more than simply the game of rugby.
She said: “There is a reason some people only play for one team and there is a reason that some volunteer when they cannot play. That’s because sometimes rugby clubs are about more than what happens on the field each weekend.
“I’m absolutely gutted.”
A petition to try and force the RFU to rethink the decision has now reached more than 3,000 signatures, while a number of fellow clubs have also raised their concerns over Lichfield’s omission.
Emily added: “I know how much the club means to me but I didn’t appreciate how much it means to the wider community until now.”