Twenty-seven days since England conquered the world, the new PWR season starts in earnest with a new batch of national heroes and a wider audience to boot. All eyes are on Twickenham Stoop on Friday night, where Ellie Kildunne headlines the opening game of a highly-anticipated season.
Harlequins host Loughborough Lightning in a match that will kick-start a campaign that is sure to bring thrills, spills and captivating drama from beginning to end.
Trailfinders Women and Sale Sharks host Saturday games against Exeter Chiefs and Leicester Tigers respectively, before champions Gloucester Hartpury begin their campaign in a re-match of last year’s final against Saracens.
Friday 24 October
Harlequins v Loughborough Lightning – Twickenham Stoop – 7.30pm
Both sides welcome back their international stars following the Rugby World Cup, and the Lightning side have a few debutants after some exciting summer signings.
Harlequins Head Coach Ross Chisholm includes World Cup winners Ellie Kildunne and Lucy Packer in a strong starting XV. Jade Konkel captains from No.8, with Lagi Tuima moving to fly-half and Clàudia Peña joining Sarah Parry in midfield.
Lightning Head Coach Nathan Smith gives a team debut to Mae Sagapolu and a PWR debut to Haineala Lutui, while World Cup winner Sadia Kabeya starts at openside flanker and captain Daisy Hibbert-Jones leads the side from blindside.
The two sides are eager to gain a win and start strong in the most anticipated PWR season yet. Friday’s game will be streamed live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport online.
Harlequins: 15. Ellie Kildunne, 14. Lauren Torley, 13. Claudia Pena, 12. Sarah Parry, 11. Beth Wilcock, 10. Lagi Tuima, 9. Lucy Packer, 1. Silvia Turani, 2. Connie Powell, 3. Lizzie Hanlon, 4. Fi McIntosh, 5. Abbie Fleming, 6. Nicole Wythe, 7. Sara Svoboda, 8. Jade Konkel
Replacements: 16. Carys Phillips, 17. Hannah Sims, 18. Laura Delgado, 19. Tyla Shirley, 20. Lauren Brooks, 21. Lucy Burgess, 22. Ella Cromack, 23. Katie Shillaker
Loughborough Lightning: 15 Lia Green, 14 Bulou Mataitoga, 13 Alev Kelter, 12 Carmela Morrall, 11 Bo Westcombe-Evans, 10 Helen Nelson, 9 Leia Brebner-Holden, 1 Anne Young, 2 Lucy Calladine, 3 Mae Sagapolu, 4 Becky Boyd, 5 Lilli Ives Campion, 6 Daisy Hibbert- Jones (c), 7 Sadia Kabeya, 8 Haineala Lutui
Replacements: 16 Kathryn Treder, 17 Amelia Williams, 18 Christine Belisle, 19 Tahlia Brody, 20 Kendall Waudby, 21 Alicia Maude, 22 Abbie Brown, 23 Ellen Scantlebury
Match Officials
Referee: Andy Wigley
Assistant Referees: Mike Woods & Gareth Holsgrove Oval Insights
Harlequins
• Harlequins Women led the league with 27 lineout steals while also recording the second-most carries (2,605) in the competition.
• Ellie Kildunne has accumulated 2,036 carry distance (rank 2) and scored 14 tries (rank 3) this season.
• Jade Konkel ranks fourth in the PWR for carries (212) and third for post-contact metres (327).
• Lucy Packer ranked third in the league for try assists (12) and seventh for box kicks (20), balancing Harlequins’ offensive threat
Loughborough Lightning
• Loughborough Lightning had the second-most efficient goal kicking in the PWR (66.7%) and have retained 6 restarts (second-highest).
• Helena Rowland led the league in goal-kicking accuracy (77.3%) and ranks second for kick metres per 80 minutes (312.2).
• Alev Kelter beat 72 defenders (rank 2) and made 85 defensive ruck entries (rank 7) this season.
Saturday 25 October
Trailfinders Women v Exeter Chiefs – Trailfinders Sports Club – 3pm
Trailfinders Women are bidding to improve on last season’s seventh-place finish and face a tough opener against an Exeter Chiefs side that narrowly missed the play-offs.
Trailfinders have a host of debutants, including outside centre Meg Jones, Scotland winger Fran McGhie and flanker Rachel Malcolm.
Kate Zackary leads the side after being named as Club Captain earlier on in the week and she is part of a forward pack including eight internationals.
For Chiefs, world champions and Red Roses’ back-row Maddie Feaunati and winger Claudia Moloney-MacDonald are back in the mix along with Ireland’s hooker Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald and centre Nancy McGillivray.
USA Eagles centre Gabby Cantorna and loosehead prop Hope Rogers make it their second Chiefs game since returning from World Cup duty, and Canada’s women’s second most capped player DaLeaka Menin is back at tighthead.
Ready to make an impact on the bench are Menin’s countrywomen, hooker Emily Tuttosi and centre Alex Tessier, while Black Fern Amy Rule is all set to make her debut for the club.
Watch live on YouTube
Trailfinders Women: 15. Julia Schell, 14. Grace White, 13. Meg Jones, 12. Carys Cox, 11. Francesca McGhie, 10. Isla Norman-Bell, 9. Brooke Bradley, 1. Alivia Leatherman, 2. Georgia Ponsonby, 3. Sara Seye, 4. Grace Moore, 5. Alana Borland, 6. Rachel Malcolm, 7. Kate Zackary (C), 8. Abi Burton
Replacements: 16. Niamh Swailes, 17. Cana Williams, 18. Maya Montiel, 19. Emma Taylor, 20. Haidee Head, 21. Ella Amory, 22. Niamh Gallagher, 23. Emma Uren
Exeter Chiefs: 15 Merryn Elworthy, 14 Katie Buchanan, 13 Nancy McGillivray, 12 Gabby Cantorna, 11 Claudia Moloney-MacDonald, 10 Liv McGoverne, 9 Flo Robinson (vc), 1 Demi Swann, 2 Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald, 3 DaLeaka Menin, 4 Emily Robinson (c), 5 Linda van der Velden, 6 Taz Bricknell, 7 Maisy Allen (vc), 8 Maddie Feaunati
Replacements: 16 Emily Tuttosi, 17 Demi Swann, 18 Amy Rule, 19 Gabriella Nigrelli, 20 Zoe Dare, 21 Lucy Nye, 22 Alex Tessierl, 23 Sabrina Poulin
Match Officials
Referee: Nikki O’Donnell
Assistant Referees: Rosanna Proctor & Simon Adams Oval Insights
Trailfinders Women
• Trailfinders Women recorded 14 interceptions last season (rank 1) while achieving the highest average kick metres per kick in the PWR (30.0).
• Meg Jones scored 10 tries (rank 6) and made 4 tackle turnovers (rank 5) last season.
• Kate Zackary made 216 successful tackles last season (rank 5) with a tackle success percentage of 92.3% per 80 minutes (rank 7).
• Julia Schell ranked fourth in the PWR for offloads (17) and achieved the fourth-best kick metres per kick average (32.9).
Exeter Chiefs
• Exeter Chiefs Women made the most successful tackles in the PWR (2,975) while achieving the second-best tackle success rate (81.9%).
• Liv McGoverne led the league in kicks in play (128) and kick metres (4,150).
• Nancy McGillivray ranked fourth in the league for offloads (17) and tenth for carry distance (1,271), contributing to Exeter’s attacking options.
Sale Sharks v Leicester Tigers – Morson Stadium – 7pm
It’s a new dawn for Sale Sharks, who are hoping an off-season of heavy recruitment will pay dividends from the get-go as they host Leicester Tigers.
Sharks won one game last season but have gone big this summer, with World Cup-winning hooker Amy Cokayne captaining Tom Hudson’s team on debut.
Cokayne is one of five summer signings making a league debut with Katie Childs, Sharifa Kasolo, Amy Relf and Rhona Lloyd also appearing for the first time in the league.
Fellow Red Rose Holly Aitchison will make her Sharks debut from the bench after joining from Bristol Bears.
Leicester Tigers have eight new signings of their own, including five in the pack in Lauren Poole, Micke Gunter (South Africa), Emerson Allen (USA), Olivia Tallon and Ali Coleman.
In the backs there is a new playmaker at fly half in USA Eagle Kristin Bitter with centres Georgie Lingham and Grace Deane outside her.
Watch on YouTube
Sale Sharks: 15. Vicky Irwin, 14. Rhona Lloyd, 13. Laura Perrin, 12. Katana
Howard, 11. Holly Thorpe, 10. Lizzie Duffy, 9. Amy Relf ;1. Tysh Harper, 2. Amy Cokayne ©, 3. Evie Roach, 4. Iona Antwis, 5. Erica Jarrell-Searcy, 6. Trudy Cowan, 7. Katie Childs, 8. Sharifa Kasolo.
Replacements: 16. Milly Hyndman, 17. Nick James, 18. Sophie Benavent, 19. Charlotte Fray, 20. Polly Bowman, 21. Olivia Ortiz, 22. Holly Aitchison, 23. Nikita Prothero.
Leicester Tigers: 15 Tess Feury, 14 Zoe Evans, 13 Grace Deane, 12 Georgie Lingham, 11 Karolina Kacirkova, 10 Kristin Bitter, 9 Jenny Maxwell (c), 1 Lauren Poole, 2 Micke Gunter, 3 Nadine Vincent, 4 Emerson Allen, 5 Olivia Tallon, 6 Ali Coleman, 7 Morgan Richardson, 8 Tiana Gordon
Replacements: 16 Alana Bainbridge, 17 Ellie Smith, 18 Clodagh Dunne, 19 Jordan Russell, 20 Alicia Watkins, 21 Eneka Labeyrie, 22 Amelie Anstead, 23 Charlotte Daley
Match Officials
Referee: Michael Lamb
Assistant Referees: Jenny Burrows & Simon Park Oval Insights
Sale Sharks
• Sale Sharks led the PWR for tackle turnovers won (51) and had the third-best scrum success rate (85.4%).
• Beatrice Rigoni led the league for both tackle turnovers won (8) and interceptions (3).
• Sofia Stefan ranked second in the competition for box kicks (51) and fifth for kicks in play (76).
• Charlotte Fray ranked second in the competition for dominant tackle contacts (16) last season.
Leicester Tigers
• Leicester Tigers Women led the PWR for scrum success with an 87.2% win rate and 136 scrums won.
• Julia Omokhuale ranked fourth in the PWR for dominant tackle contacts last season. (13).
• Leicester Tigers Women made an average of 4.7 attacking kicks per 80 minutes last season – the second-most in the league.
Sunday 26 October
Gloucester Hartpury v Saracens – Kingsholm – 3pm
The must-not-miss match of the weekend is a repeat of last season’s final, as Gloucester Hartpury host Saracens in a contest packed with international stars.
England captain Zoe Stratford lines up in the Gloucester Hartpury back row, alongside her fellow Red Rose, Alex Matthews, and Georgia Brock.
Stratford co-captains the side for a fourth successive season with Mo Hunt, who starts at scrum-half.
Sam Monaghan is set for her first Gloucester Hartpury appearance since a knee injury in the 2024 PWR Final.
Saracens field 11 World Cup players, including Red Roses Jess Breach, Rosie Galligan and Marlie Packer, while World Player of the Year Sophie De Goede is in the second row.
The match is live on TNT Sports 1 and UHD.
Gloucester Hartpury: 15 Emma Sing, 14 Mia Venner, 13 Jade Shekells, 12 Tatyana Heard, 11 Nel Metcalfe, 10 Lleucu George, 9 Natasha Hunt (CC), 1 El Perry, 2 Kelsey Jones, 3 Maud Muir, 4 Sam Monaghan, 5 Sarah Beckett, 6 Zoe Stratford (CC), 7 Georgia Brock, 8 Alex Matthews
Replacements: 16 Neve Jones, 17 Ranni Samuda, 18 Sisilia Tuipulotu, 19 Kate Williams, 20 Bethan Lewis, 21 Meg Davies, 22 Lizzie Goulden, 23 Hannah Dallavalle
Saracens: 15 Sarah McKenna, 14 Jess Breach, 13 Sydney Gregson, 12 Emma Hardy, 11 Alysha Corrigan, 10 Zoe Harrison (c), 9 Tori Sellors, 1 Kelsey Clifford, 2 Bryony Field, 3 Carmen Tremelling, 4 Sophie De Goede, 5 Rosie Galligan, 6 Georgia Evans, 7 Marlie Packer (c), 8 Poppy Cleall
Replacements: 16 May Campbell, 17 Liz Crake, 18 Donna Rose, 19 Louise McMillan, 20 Charlotte Wright Haley, 21 Amelia MacDougall, 22 Beth Blacklock, 23 Jemma Jo Linkins
Match Officials
Referee: Holly Wood
Assistant Referees: Mike Hudson & James Clarke Oval Insights
Gloucester Hartpury
• Gloucester Hartpury Women led the PWR with 101 tries scored while achieving the highest metres per carry average (3.9) and most post-contact metres (3,302).
• Natasha Hunt led the league with 16 try assists this season and recorded a round- high 7 box kicks in the latest match.
• Mia Venner made the most initial line breaks in the league this season (26) and beat 11 defenders in last season’s final (most in round).
• Zoe Aldcroft made a league-leading 18 dominant tackle contacts last season, contributing to Gloucester-Hartpury’s competition-best 147 dominant tackle contacts.
Saracens
• Saracens had the most efficient kicking game in the Premiership with 307 kicks in play (rank 1) and 48 retained kicks (rank 1).
• May Campbell was joint-top try scorer in the competition with 17 tries while also leading the league in defensive ruck entries (199).
• Poppy Cleall led the Premiership for offloads (22) and recorded the second-most carries (16) in the latest round.
• Zoe Harrison accumulated 3,013 kick metres (rank 2) and led the league with 19 retained kicks this season.
With thanks to the PWR
