On the whole, contracts that allow players to be full-time athletes have understandably contributed to higher quality play.
But there is still progress to be made. Not all Ireland’s players accepted the contracts offered by their union and, given England have always led the way in this area, there are questions over whether Red Roses players should get a pay rise.
Contract values vary, but usually England players are paid about £30,000 for a one-year deal, with the list of those given contracts changing from year to year.
Rugby Players’ Association general secretary Christian Day is involved in discussions over a new deal for when the current contracts end this summer.
“We want a fair representation of what their value to the RFU is,” he said before Saturday’s Grand Slam win – the Red Roses’ fifth successive Six Nations title. “I think it’s rising.”
After Saturday’s victory, England prop Hannah Botterman said: “Obviously the RFU didn’t expect to get nearly 60,000 here. I think we doubled what they expected.
“There’s ongoing talks but we just want to keep the fans happy and keep them flooding these stadiums because it really does give us a boost.”
Merchant called for more “security” for England players on one-year contracts, saying: “Otherwise you start playing badly and you’re going to lose your income. If I was on £30,000 and I got let go, I would really struggle.”