When can I start playing women's adult rugby?

Under RFU Regulation 15.7, you can train and play contact rugby with adults from your 17th birthday, as long as:

• your club has been approved by its Constituent Body (county) to play 17-year-olds in adult rugby that season, has a Safeguarding Officer and follows the RFU safeguarding rules;
• you've been assessed as capable of playing with adults, and your individual application has been approved by the Constituent Body (Girls Player Development Group and England U18 players apply to the RFU instead). The approval lasts until your 18th birthday;
• you don't play or train in the front row of a contested scrum until you're 18.

Not open to Under 18 age grade players (except in exceptional circumstances with RFU approval): Premiership Women's Rugby and its cup, and Constituent Body women's representative rugby.

Under 19s are adult players. An Under 19 at school or college can only play down into Under 18 rugby in limited, exceptional circumstances (including being in at least their third year of study), and Premiership Women's Rugby and Girls Player Development Group players can't play down at all.