'As a player that is what I thrive on': Evie Gallagher eyeing up PWR return

For some it may have seemed like the recently started PWR season came around quickly after the Women’s Rugby World Cup, but with Bristol Bears not involved in round one action they are champing at the bit to get going again.

Since Scotland back-rower Evie Gallagher and her international team mate Lana Skeldon joined the club following the demise of Worcester Warriors, the Bears have been finalists in 2023/24 and semi-finalists last season and they will once again be expected to compete for a top four spot in the nine-team competition this time around.

They start away to Leicester Tigers this coming Sunday and Gallagher, the 25-year-old who starred for the Scots as they reached the last eight at the World Cup, cannot wait.

“Each year since I came down to England to play in 2022/23 with Worcester, the league has got stronger and I think this season it is going to be even stronger than ever before off the back of the World Cup,” said the player with 40 international caps to her name.

“During the summer and into the World Cup period you could see all of the international players that were moving between clubs and other internationals that were joining the PWR for the first time and it was exciting to see.

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“I kind of put it to the back of my mind during the World Cup because my focus was on Scotland, but coming back into Bears training a few weeks ago and joining up with the girls again after the PWR Cup campaign was brilliant.

“And seeing how the round one league games involving the other clubs went at the weekend was interesting just to be able to see where everyone is at and how new-look squads are coming together.

“One thing is clear, the standard of this league is just going up and up and every game is a challenge, you cannot take your eye off the ball at all or you will be punished.

“There will be a lot of competitive games, but as a player that is what I want and what I thrive on.”

In terms of changes at the Bears, well there have been a few.

Head coach Dave Ward, now with Ampthill men, left the club in the summer to be replaced by former Scotland men’s hooker Scott Lawson while the likes of Courtney Keight and Holly Aitchison vacated the club to join Sale Sharks and Ellie Marston-Mulhearn retired. Amber Reed also retired, but is now assistant coach.

Scotland cap Rhea Clarke and Welsh duo Maisie Davies and Gwennan Hopkins have joined and Gallagher joked: “It’s great to have Scott and Rhea here as it keeps up the big Scottish contingent at the Bears!

“I have known of Scott over the years, but have never worked closely with him before and it has been really good to get used to the way he works and what he is looking for from the squad heading into the Leicester game and beyond.

“We set high standards for ourselves and that won’t change while the new players that have come in have fitted in well and hopefully down the line we will see Rhea playing for the Bears alongside her sister Elliann which would be really cool.”

Gallagher has built her game on excellent defence – 72 tackles in just four World Cup games and a whole host of turnovers during the showpiece event in August and September were great examples of this – but the player, who will be in the conversation for the inaugural British & Irish Lions women’s tour in 2027, has also been working hard on the attacking side of things.

With two tries, 44 carries and five offloads at the World Cup, the back row has a firm foundation to build on. “I have always liked to get my hands on the ball, but maybe sometimes my focus has been on my defensive duties and I really want to become a better all-round player if I can.

“I enjoyed carrying a lot of ball for Scotland in the World Cup, trying to run good lines and finding holes in defences and I want to take that forward another step with Bristol this season and help us get onto the front foot.

“We like to play an attacking brand of rugby and I want to play my part in that whether that is making hard yards up the middle and around the rucks or out in the wider channels creating space and gaps for our speedsters to run into with carries and then offloads. I’ll keep working on the attacking side of the game and help the team in any way I can.”