EXCLUSIVEBlackburn Rovers set to pay their women's players just £9,000-a-year salaries next season with owners Venky's under investigation in India over a tax dispute

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Blackburn Rovers are planning to pay their women’s team players salaries of just £9,000-a-year for the upcoming season.

Mail Sport can reveal the Women’s Championship club has a player budget of just £100,000 and will pay their squad the UK minimum wage, which is £11.44 for those aged 21 and over.

It is understood players will operate on contracts of 16 hours per week, with training taking place from Wednesday-Saturday, with games on Sunday’s.

Mail Sport also understands the 16 hours will not factor in travel for away fixtures and possible overnight stays for games further afield.

The club saw 10 players depart following the expiry of their contracts last week.

Blackburn's women's players will only be paid the UK minimum wage next season

They are owned by Venky's, represented by Venkatesh Rao (left) and Balaji Rao (centre), who are under investigation in India over a tax dispute

Blackburn are owned by Venky’s, who have been under investigation in India over a tax dispute with the Government since last year. The club’s financial situation has been precarious in recent months.

Last summer, they had to petition Dehli’s high court to allow them to send £26million to Venky’s London Limited, Blackburn’s parent company, in order for the club to pay their tax bill and other payments in the UK.

Blackburn has a rich history in the women’s game, with England stars Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway having come through the academy, while Ella Toone also spent time on-loan there.

And Stanway, who now plays for Bayern Munich and has 69 England caps, was among those to hit out at the move.

Posting on X, she said: 'Myself and so many others are indebted to the opportunities Blackburn gave us when we were younger. 

'Very sad to see the club choosing not to back their women’s team. Football and people in the North West need Blackburn to continue to properly support the game!'

The club did not wish to comment on the matter when contacted by Mail Sport.

Last week Reading withdrew their women’s team from the Championship due to financial pressures across the club.

There had been fears the club would be scrapped altogether, but they will instead play in the fifth-tier next season.

Owner Dai Yongge has put Reading up for sale, but the club said they would not be able to meet the criteria to compete in the second tier of the women’s game without a ‘cash injection.’

‘The club understand the demotion to Tier 5 will come as a huge disappointment for all connected with the club,’ Reading said in a statement.

‘Unfortunately, given the current economic realities of the club, the outlay required to reach these levels are just not possible without significant owner funding.’

Reading owner Dai Yongge (right) withdrew the club's women's team from the Championship 

Yongge has put Reading up for sale and has been the subject of protests from fans 

The club added that they would not see a ‘direct financial return’ from investing in their women’s team for ‘at least five years’.

The Football Association will hand over the running of the top two tiers of women’s football to a new company (NewCo) this season.

The Women’s Championship licence has not yet been approved for the 2024-2025 campaign, but there are a number of proposed changes.

This includes increased contact hours and a minimum number of contracted players per club, but this does not constitute as a full-time set-up.

Licence requirements are minimum standards of professional football and are formulated with clubs to ensure players are supported and protected, with their welfare on and off the pitch being of the utmost priority.

Because the licence requirements are not yet approved, no financial information from clubs has been submitted, but clubs are legislated to pay players national minimum wage.

When the licence for 2024-2025 is confirmed, the league will work collaboratively with clubs on their individual models to fulfil the requirements accordingly.