PWR begins with a bang

Saracens, Bristol Bears and Exeter Chiefs powered to opening day wins as the 2024/25 Premiership Women’s Rugby season kicked off.

Chiefs struck late on against Harlequins in a low-scoring thriller to get the season off to a fine start.

Three-time champions Saracens were made to work for their victory by Trailfinders Women while Bristol Bears were comfortable winners against Loughborough Lightning.

Here’s everything that happened in Round 1:

Saracens 38-29 Trailfinders Women – StoneX Stadium 

Saracens were given a scare by Trailfinders Women at the StoneX Stadium but the hosts did enough to prevail 38-29.

Vicky Laflin scored the first try of the PWR season to give the visitors the lead before May Campbell crossed for an instant response. 

From there, Chantelle Miell moved Saracens into the lead on her return to the club, only for Laflin to cancel out their advantage. 

Akina Gondwe powered over to give the hosts a seven-point lead at half-time which was then extended after the break by Poppy Cleall.

But once again, Trailfinders fought back, this time through Ellie Boatman who exploited space on the right to get her side’s third.

With 12 minutes to go, Bryony Field dotted down to extend the lead to nine points but Laflin crossed for her hat-trick to set up a grandstand finish.

Sarah McKenna had the final say as she crossed in the last minute to see Saracens home in a thrilling encounter

Saracens - 38

Tries: Campbell, Miell, Gondwe, Cleall, Field, McKenna

Trailfinders Women - 29

Tries: Laflin (3), Boatman

Harlequins 7-8 Exeter Chiefs – Twickenham Stoop

Liv McGoverne was the hero for Exeter Chiefs as she nailed a late penalty to see the visitors earn an 8-7 win at Harlequins.

Nicole Wythe was all action in the opening exchanges as the Harlequins flanker put in a huge hit in just the third minute.

She then turned from defence to attack to get Quins on the board as she powered over before Ella Cromack kicked the conversion.

The two teams traded possession with the hosts putting plenty of pressure on Chiefs when they had the ball, with Lauren Torley shining.

Chiefs ended the first half a player down as Flo Robinson was sent to the sin-bin on her return to the capital but the hosts could not make the advantage pay to hold a 7-0 lead at the break.

With 12 minutes of the half gone, Harlequins looked to have a second try but it was not given by the referee to keep the margin tight and the atmosphere nervy.

Exeter got on the scoreboard in the 65th minute as Taz Bricknell crossed but they could not level the scores as Torley charged down the conversion to see her side hold onto a slender lead.

They could not hold on, however, as Chiefs won a penalty which McGoverne duly slotted over for an impressive win.

Harlequins – 7 

Tries: Wythe 

Exeter Chiefs – 8 

Tries: Bricknell 

Loughborough Lightning 19-46 Bristol Bears – cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens 

Reneeqa Bonner and Millie David each scored hat-tricks as Bristol Bears ran riot in a 46-19 win over Loughborough Lightning. 

Bonner was untouchable in the opening eight minutes, crossing three times to set Bristol Bears’ title tilt up perfectly.

Bears finished as runners-up to Gloucester Hartpury last season and this was a statement of intent as they look to challenge again in the 2024/25 season.

Millie David sewed up the bonus point inside 13 minutes before Lucy Calladine provided some resistance with Lightning’s first try of the afternoon.

The visitors were not done though as Jess Sprague dotted down from a maul to take Bears into a 29-5 lead at half-time.

Their momentum showed no signs of letting up as David scored two tries in three minutes to complete her hat-trick before Calladine scored her second.

The try-trading continued up to the end as Amy Coles crossed for Bristol’s eighth before Issy Winter finished the game off with a try for the hosts.

Loughborough Lightning – 19

Tries: Calladine (2), Winter

Bristol Bears – 46

Tries: Bonner (3), David (3), Sprague, Coles

Gloucester-Hartpury 57-29 Leicester Tigers

In an enthralling encounter at Kingholm, two-time champions Gloucester-Hartpury survived an early scare to beat Leicester Tigers .

Tom Hudson’s side took the lead with scarcely five minutes on the clock when Charlotte Fray finished off a scintillating team move down the centre of the pitch.

This started a flurry of first-half scores, with Gloucester-Hartpury responding with scores from Gwennan Hopkins and Amy Dale, while Tigers stayed in the contest thanks to a Zainab Alema score on her PWR debut.

Evie Wills’ score for Leicester was followed by a brilliant brace for Emma Sing, who was untouchable on her way to the whitewash.

On the stroke of half-time Dale dotted down again for the hosts to lead 33-17 at the break.

As if all that scoring was not enough, the second half provided even more action.

Tigers struck first through Elin Beaver, before tries for the Cherry and Whites’ Rachel Lund, a double for Charlotte Woodman and an intercept score from Jade Shekells put the game to bed.

A second try for Beaver proved only to be a consolation for Leicester, who left the home of the reigning champions with much to be proud of ahead of a trip to Exeter Chiefs next weekend.

Gloucester Hartpury - 57

Tries: Hopkins, Dale (2), Sing (2), Lund, Woodman (2), Shekells

Leicester Tigers - 29

Tries: Fray, Alema, Wills, Beaver (2)