The RFU has defended its decision to fly the England women's squad to the World Cup in New Zealand in economy class – in contrast to their male counterparts.
England's men travelled to the 2019 World Cup in Japan in business class.
The RFU's official travel partner, British Airways, does not fly directly to New Zealand, so the Red Roses will fly with an alternative airline this weekend.
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A spokesperson for the RFU told Sky Sports News: "As our airline partner British Airways does not currently fly directly to New Zealand, the team will be travelling to and from the World Cup with an alternative carrier.
"The RFU continues to invest in growing the women's game and is proud of the progress we've made in being the first union to offer players full-time contracts, our leading position in the World Cup rankings, as well as significantly growing our fan base and investing in the growth of the AP15s league.
"Despite these successes and our continued investment, the women's game will be loss-making for some years to come and, therefore, we have to make challenging decisions around what we can invest in, and what will provide the best results and return for the team.
"The Red Roses' wider management support group has recently been expanded to include investment in additional physios, rehab therapists, performance coaches, a nutritionist and a full-time psychologist. From a performance perspective the team management has chosen to invest in these areas, as well as having two weeks in the country before the first game, rather than flying in business."
It's understood the players have a jet-leg acclimatisation plan once they arrive in New Zealand.
They will begin light training on Tuesday and Wednesday, before returning to full training on Thursday. The Red Roses' schedule has scope for flexibility, if required, to allow for full recovery.