All four league fixtures this weekend, on March 2-3, will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and social media platforms, with games played at each club’s main stadium.

It will be a particularly memorable weekend for Red Rose Talling as she returns to face former club Loughborough Lightning, where her inspiring rugby journey began.

“It’s going to be massive,” she said. “Anytime a game is on TV, you know it will get visibility and sparks interest for more people to watch.

“That’s what we really need to grow the game.

“It will be a very tight match against Loughborough, which will make it even more entertaining to watch on TNT.”

For all the fixtures this weekend click here

For the latest Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby league table click here

Talling’s impressive form during her time at Loughborough earned her a call-up to England’s 2020 Six Nations squad. She made her debut against Italy aged just 18 and went on to feature in the most prestigious tournament of all – the World Cup.

“Internationally women’s rugby is doing great,” she said.

“We’ve got the World Cup next year in England and hoping to sell out Twickenham Stadium.

“I want to see the club game grow alongside that.

“We’re playing Ealing Trailfinders at the Salford Community Stadium in a few weeks and it would be great if more games are played in men’s stadiums, as it will hopefully get more people to come and watch.”

Ahead of SuperPWR weekend, the players were asked to share their own as well as their own teammates’ ‘superpowers’.

“Mine is strength,” she said. “I am strong in tackles and carries.

“Captain Georgie Perris-Redding’s got many – she’s an all-rounder. She’ll just chop people down and somehow get through everyone.

“And I need to mention Beatrice Rigoni, the Italian. She has a unique flair about her.

“Her super strength is sometimes even we don’t even know what she’s going to do – that’s a real superpower.

“And we have a brilliant coach in Rachel Taylor. Partly why I moved here is to hear from a new coach and she’s helped me so much both on and off the pitch.”

Talling has settled in well on and off the pitch but the Sharks have endured a tricky league run with just one win in their opening ten games.

She said: “We’ve had a very tough start to the season and injuries don’t help that, but we have shown what we can beat teams like Harlequins and nobody expected that.

“We’re going to strive to be the best team that we can be and focus on what’s immediately ahead. I think we’ve shown what we can do.

“I’ve had some great opportunities here to develop my leadership skills and the team is pretty special.

“I’m proud to wear my England shirt and I’m proud to wear my Sale shirt.”

With thanks to PWR

It adds a second Red Rose to their ranks after Detysha Harper made the same move from Loughborough Lightning. Both these players have northern roots, Harper in Manchester, Talling in North Yorkshire. It is highly welcome news that at last the north-south drift is reversing.

At the same time Sharks have signed Nikita Prothero, an England Under 20 loose forward. This age-group side will provide a profitable source of material for clubs casting around (desperately?) for added playing strength.

For Lightning the news is more concerning. Like Gloucester-Hartpury, they are a central nursery for future stars. Unlike G-H they haven’t been able to attract top talent for a while. Remember the astonishment when they announced the signing of Katy Daley-Mclean, Emily Scarratt, Justine Lucas and Jo Brown in the early days of the Premier 15s!

With Scarratt and Helena Rowland missing from huge chunks of the 2022-23 season, their challenge has faltered. In stark contrast G-H have gained big-name players and are approaching a first-ever final.

Any move that improves Sharks’ chances is good news for the league. One glance at the map and you see their ground as a lonely outpost of what is supposed to be all-England territory (to use a tennis phrase).

We can expect further avalanches of signings across the coming weeks. Few clubs will feel they have all it takes to complete a winning seventh season of the AP 15s with their current stock.