'I've loved it': Parry relishing starting role with Harlequins

It was only a fortnight ago that Sarah Parry and her Harlequins teammates were looking down the barrel of three losses in a row.

Now, as a month long break from Premiership Women’s Rugby beckons, the side hope that their Big Game 17 clash with Bristol Bears at Allianz Stadium put them into hibernation in the top four.

To catapult themselves to fifth Harlequins dug deep to beat Sale Sharks 22-17 at the Twickenham Stoop. Parry was a try scorer in the effort that backed up a 56-28 victory against Leicester Tigers a week prior.

“For me it was just excitement to finally get those two wins in a row,” Parry told RugbyPass. “Momentum is huge in rugby. As soon as you start getting those wins, you enjoy the feeling so much more. That’s something you really want to chase.

“We were really trying to build into this block. We looked back to the last one (against Leicester), defensively we weren’t 100 per cent happy with where we were at. We could definitely say we were happy with it on Saturday.

“There’s so much more we think we can build on. Especially coming into Big Game. We want to entertain the fans. That’s the whole part of it. And to get a big win at the Allianz.”

All season Parry has been a leading light for Harlequins. Just 17 when she made her Worcester Warriors debut in the Allianz Cup in 2023, the centre has now matured into a physical ball carrying midfielder that thrives off set-piece plays.

The England U20 international has formed a formidable relationship with Claudia Pena and has linked up with her fly-half, and housemate, Ella Cromack to orchestrate plenty of opportunities to get over the whitewash.

The notion of the mid-Walian being called up to the senior England set-up for the 2026 Guinness Women’s Six Nations to contest for a starting spot with the likes of Meg Jones and Tatyana Heard does not seem absurd.

This run of good form, as you would expect, started ahead of the league season. Because while the Red Roses were winning a Women’s Rugby World Cup, Parry was playing the PWR Cup.

A formidable centre partnership with Lagi Tuima took Harlequins all the way to the Cup final where they lost out to Saracens at StoneX Stadium.

That warm-up to the league campaign, combined with brutal bike sessions, has helped the 20-year-old maintain a high level of performance.

“I’ve loved it,” she said. “It’s been so much fun. Obviously you want to play as much rugby as possible, so I am just grateful for the opportunity. I’ve got to just continue being the best player that I can be for the team. Putting my best foot forward.

“Hopefully there’ll be more things to come rugby-wise if I just keep trying to perform the best that I can. If you play more, people see you play and you get more of a look in at other places.”

The camaraderie of Harlequins has gone a long way to keeping the squad on the right path. Even after back-to-back-to-back losses at the hands of Saracens, Gloucester Hartpury and Exeter Chiefs the side remained calm as they waited for an opportunity to turn things around.

 

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Recently the squad even enjoyed a pasta making night, where there was two hours’ worth of free prosecco.

“Heather Cowell, if she can remember, was there,” Parry laughed as she recalled the team bonding night.

There has also been lengthy injury list in West London. Numerous senior players are missing big chunks of the season and Black Fern, Layla Sae, injured her ACL a month after her arrival.

Last weekend Ireland international Aoife Wafer made her hotly anticipated debut for the club after she recovered from a broken collarbone.

This weekend’s opponents, Bristol, come to London at a low ebb. Scott Lawson’s team have not experienced victory since Round 2 and the memory of a sun-drenched Mattioli Woods Welford Road is distant.

Since their 74-nil hammering of Leicester, Bears have found themselves confounded and have lost five in a row. Most recently it was top four hopefuls Loughborough Lightning that rolled into the West Country and left with a bonus point win thanks to Alev Kelter, Alicia Maude and Keia-Mae Sagapolu tries.

Even if their opponents are experiencing a dire run of form, they possess danger. Unleashed, wing duo Millie David and Reneeqa Bonner can be devastating, while midseason arrival of Women’s Rugby World Cup winning co-captain Ruahei Demant just oozes class.

With the extra space at Allianz Stadium all three will want to stretch their legs.

A positive result for either team will mean much more than usual. Heading into a five week break with a win can keep a team buoyant, while a loss will swirl around a club until they next step onto the pitch.

“I think it is vital that we get this win and finish this block on a really good high,” Parry said. “Then we’re not going into the New Year thinking about the things that you really need to fix before the next block.

“I think it just gives you so much good energy, so much positivity, that you can go into Christmas and have a good break.”