PWR: Round 1 - Gloucester-Hartpury commence title defence with dominant win over Saracens

The stars of England's Rugby World Cup winning squad were back in club colours, as the league exploded back into action with a high-scoring contest in Twickenham. Harlequins hosted Loughborough Lightning down at the Stoop for an end-to-end contest, which set the tempo for an exhilarating weekend of action.

Harlequins produced a scintillating start to the 2025/26 Premiership Women’s Rugby season with a 52-42 victory over Loughborough Lightning at the Stoop, in a match that featured 14 tries and 13 different scorers. England World Cup stars Ellie Kildunne and Lucy Packer made their club returns, with Kildunne’s trademark jinking runs setting up a crucial try for Lauren Torley, while Packer provided her usual dependability at scrum-half.

The opening half was a high-octane affair, with both teams crossing four times to leave Loughborough ahead by just two points at the break. Sadia Kabeya, instrumental in both attack and defense for Lightning, scored her side’s second-half try to highlight their fighting spirit, while Claudia Pena’s accurate kicking and try-scoring prowess helped Harlequins surge ahead. Hannah Sims capped the win with a late try, taking the hosts beyond 50 points.

Despite falling short, Loughborough showed promise, with Bo Westcombe-Evans and Kabeya among their standout performers. The match was an exhilarating showcase for the PWR, emphasizing the impact of England’s recent World Cup heroes and setting a high standard for the season ahead.

HARLEQUINS: 52
TRIES: Fleming; Wilcock; Penalty; Torley; Wythe; Pena; Konkel; Sims
CONVERSIONS: Pena 5

LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING: 42
TRIES: Westcombe-Evans; Calladine; Maude; Kabeya; Treder; Williams
CONVERSIONS: Kelter, Nelson 5

Exeter Chiefs Women began their 2025/26 Premiership Women’s Rugby campaign with a commanding 24-12 bonus-point victory over Trailfinders Women on the road. The Chiefs asserted their dominance early, using strong lineout play and tactical kicking to gain territory, with Julia McGoverne opening the scoring after a powerful run from Flo Robinson. Hope Rogers marked her 50th appearance for the club by touching down for the second try, while Linde van der Velden and Claudia Moloney-MacDonald added further scores to secure the bonus point.

Trailfinders showed resilience, with captain Kate Zackary and hooker Georgia Ponsonby scoring to keep the hosts in the contest, but yellow cards and missed opportunities prevented them from mounting a comeback. Exeter’s replacements, including Emily Tuttosi, Amy Rule, and Alex Tessier, helped maintain the visitors’ momentum, allowing Chiefs to control the latter stages and see out the win.

The Chiefs’ structured gameplay, clinical finishing, and ability to capitalize on numerical advantage underlined their professionalism and set a high standard for the new season. Trailfinders will look to regroup ahead of their next encounter, while Exeter prepare to face reigning champions Gloucester-Hartpury at Sandy Park.

EXETER CHIEFS WOMEN: 24
TRIES: McGoverne; Rogers; Gabriella Nigrelli; Claudia Moloney-MacDonald
CONVERSIONS: McGoverne 2

TRAILFINDERS WOMEN: 12
TRIES: Zackary; Ponsonby
CONVERSIONS: Jones

Sale Sharks Women opened their 2025/26 Premiership Women’s Rugby season in dominant fashion, claiming a 46-17 victory over Leicester Tigers Women. The hosts wasted no time asserting their authority, with Amy Cokayne’s debut marked by a driving maul that yielded the first points of the campaign and her first for Sale. Erica Jarrell-Searcy followed with a spectacular solo try, rounding multiple defenders before crossing the line, and further scores via mauls pushed Sale 17-0 inside 20 minutes.

Wingers Holly Thorpe and Rhona Lloyd (on her debut) both added tries, while Leicester managed one before the break, leaving the halftime score at 34-5. The second half saw Sale continue their attacking flair: Amy Relf and Trudy Cowan broke through the defence to extend the lead. Leicester were awarded a penalty try following two yellow cards for Katie Childs, but Sale remained firmly in control.

A cohesive forward effort, clinical finishing, and effective maul execution highlighted Sale’s strengths and put them atop the table after round one. With a perfect start, Sale will aim to maintain their momentum in the early stages of the new Premiership Women’s Rugby season.

SALE SHARKS WOMEN: 46
TRIES: Amy Cokayne; Erica Jarrell-Searcy; Holly Thorpe; Rhona Lloyd; Amy Relf; Trudy Cowan
PENALTY TRY: 1

LEICESTER TIGERS WOMEN: 17
TRIES: Tess Feury 2; Penalty Try: 1
CONS: Kristin Bitter 1

Reigning Premiership Women’s Rugby champions Gloucester-Hartpury made a statement in their 2025/26 season opener, defeating Saracens 40-14 at Kingsholm. The match featured 11 internationals from England and Canada who had played in the World Cup final just four weeks ago, and the hosts wasted little time asserting their dominance.

Gloucester-Hartpury raced to a 26-0 lead before Saracens managed to score, with Maud Muir opening the scoring in the second minute after a quick pass from scrum-half Natasha ‘Mo’ Hunt. Wales’ Kelsey Jones powered over from a driving maul to add the second try, while Jade Shekells crossed for a third as the visitors struggled to contain the hosts’ width and forward power.

Saracens, themselves a decorated side featuring Canada’s World Player of the Year Sophie de Goede and England’s World Cup top try-scorer Jess Breach, finally put points on the board through May Campbell but were quickly pegged back when Jones scored her second. Sam Monaghan, returning from knee surgery, and Tatyana Heard added further tries, helping Gloucester-Hartpury secure a bonus-point victory.

Despite not playing together since March, the hosts displayed excellent cohesion, dominating possession and territory. Saracens battled but were unable to match the clinical finishing and physicality of Gloucester-Hartpury. Head coach Dan Murphy’s new era began in style, and players highlighted the energy and drive within the squad as a strong foundation for the season ahead.

The result sent a clear message to the league: Gloucester-Hartpury remain a force to be reckoned with, blending World Cup-winning talent with emerging stars to devastating effect.

GLOUCESTER-HARTPURY WOMEN: 40
TRIES: Maud Muir; Kelsey Jones 2; Jade Shekells; Sam Monaghan; Tatyana Heard
CONVERSIONS: Sing 5

SARACENS WOMEN: 14
TRIES: May Campbell; Amelia MacDougall
CONVERSIONS: Harrison 2