2026 PWR Final: What do previous Saracens and Trailfinders encounters tell us?

Saracens versus Trailfinders Women. Come Sunday afternoon at 5pm, one of those two clubs will be celebrating at the Twickenham Stoop, having overcome every single challenge to sit atop Premiership Women’s Rugby’s iron throne.

Trailfinders, who made the ‘impossible’ feat of toppling Gloucester Hartpury from clinching a four-peat, have managed to beat the odds and qualify for the knockouts for the first time since they joined the PWR in 2023.

Under Barney Maddison’s careful management they have gone from strength to strength, showing that the programme has arrived at its planned destination: contesting the PWR title.

As for the other contender, what can we say about the Saracens? Ruthless, precise, analytical and ambitious, the StoneX Stadium residents have been sharpening their claws for the past three seasons, dreaming of the chance of earning their fourth PWR.

Shaped to fit Alex Austerberry’s vision of the programme, Saracens have been taking one step at a time, and although they fell short in 2025, they are in the final this year again to put an end to a three-season drought.

But who takes the psychological advantage going to the final? Well, if we only considered the head-to-head, then it would have to be the Saracens.

Before we go down memory lane, it is worth noting that Trailfinders have only been around since the 2022/23 PWR season, meaning the number of meetings between these two sides doesn’t even reach double digits.

The first time they met was in the Allianz Cup in 2023, Saracens trounced the newcomers 45-10 on 21 October 2023. From that match-up, only a handful of players are still representing the same club: Sydney Gregson, Bryony Field, Chloe Flanagan and Poppy Cleall.

A month later, they clashed over in league competition for the first time, again, Saracens coming out on top.

From then on, both sides have met an additional six times, with Saracens completely dominating the fixture: 48-17 (PWR 2023/2024); 33-20 (PWR Up Series 2024/2025); 38-29 (PWR 2024/2025); 31-17 (PWR 2024/2025); 57-5 (PWR 2025/2026) and 80-14 (PWR 2025/2026).

Ironically, Trailfinders’ two biggest losses to Saracens came in the season now drawing to a close. In November, Trailfinders were torn apart with the Saracens taking a 57-5 win home.

Sydney Gregson, who has developed quite the appetite to score against Trailfinders, bagged the first try of the game, with Marlie Packer and six other players following next. Francesca McGhie collected the West Londoners’ consolation try in a match that highlighted the gap between the two sides.

Saracens’ most dominant display against Trailfinders — both in terms of margin and points scored — came just before the knockouts, as they secured an emphatic 80–14 home victory.

With Zoe Harrison orchestrating several key plays, Sarries were too much for the visiting side to handle, the well-rested West Londoners conceded 12 tries to 2, which, at the time, painted a worrying picture for the knockouts.

However, as Gloucester Hartpury would later find out, it seemed that Trailfinders’ downfall was short-lived, and it should serve as a cautionary tale for the Saracens; never underestimate an upcoming underdog. Especially an underdog that boasts the talents of Meg Jones, Georgia Ponsonby, Emma Wassell, Kate Zackary, Abi Burton and Carys Cox.

Nonetheless, Saracens produced a formidable season from start to finish, finishing just two points behind Gloucester Hartpury and ending the regular campaign with both the best attack [741 points scored] and the strongest defence [244 points conceded].

If we combine those two pieces of data with the head to head record between the 2026 finalists, the balance of favour tilts firmly towards Saracens.

But in a final, it’s pointless to try and predict winners before the game even starts. We’ll have to wait until Sunday afternoon to find out whether Saracens’ spectacular season ends in celebration, or if we’ll witness one of the greatest underdog stories, with Trailfinders lifting silverware.