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Premiership Women’s Rugby launch marks a new era for women's rugby in England
A new era for women’s rugby in England has kicked off with the launch of Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) which has replaced the previous Premier 15s. Premiership Women’s Rugby will manage the Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby club competition, which starts in the autumn.
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Led by new chief executive officer, Belinda Moore, Premiership Women’s Rugby has been established to deliver a ten-year strategy for women’s rugby in England. As part of that strategy, the new ten-team PWR league will be launched as a partnership with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and the clubs.
The ten teams who will compete in the PWR next season are: Gloucester-Hartpury, Exeter Chiefs, Saracens, Bristol Bears, Harlequins, Worcester Warriors, Sale Sharks, Loughborough Lightning, Ealing Trailfinders, and Leicester Tigers.
Alongside the launch is a rebranded new look for Premiership Women’s Rugby, created in partnership with MATTA the award-winning independent, creative agency.
Players will be at the heart of the latest phase of elite women’s club rugby in England, and instrumental to the project at MATTA is current Saracens fly-half Flo Williams, who is their women’s sport lead.
The ambition for Premiership Women’s Rugby is built on a new vision and mission to carry the organisation through the next decade and create a generation of players and fans inspired by world-class club competition.
Premiership Women’s Rugby chief executive, Belinda Moore said: “Our ambition is to transform the league into the world’s most competitive, progressive, and sustainable domestic rugby competition.
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“Elite women’s rugby in England has never been in a stronger place. We have just seen Gloucester-Hartpury win the Allianz Premier15s with a thrilling victory over Exeter Chiefs, in front of a record crowd at the newly-named Queensholm.
“The final was the culmination of a season which has confirmed that we have strong player talent depth as the foundation to grow the league over the next decade.
“The new era starts today, and the competition’s new look and feel is designed to be powerful, dynamic, and eye-catching. It aims to capture the excitement and high energy of the league, the players, the fans, and the sport as a whole.”
The excitement around women’s sport in England is tangible. The launch of Premiership Women’s Rugby comes a few weeks after England won the Grand Slam in the TikTok Women’s Six Nations in a campaign that saw them attract a record-breaking 58,498 fans to Twickenham for the win over France in the final game of the tournament.
England will also host the next Rugby World Cup in 2025, creating a once-in-a-generation opportunity to inspire and introduce thousands more girls and young women to the game.
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Moore added: “We believe that rugby’s next era will be built on the foundations of collaboration, and it is a hugely positive step to see this partnership with the RFU and the clubs to deliver what’s best for the women’s game, harness the current foundations and accelerate the growth of the league.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Hopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
3 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to commentsNOW Razor is worried about ABs getting injured or overplayed! Didn’t bother him last year. He happily played his AB Crusaders.
4 Go to commentsWhat is the World Rugby U20 players born year.
2 Go to commentsMuch like the Chiefs finally gave up waiting for Atu Moli to ever not be injured, you have to wonder if the Chiefs and Crusaders will let Josh Lord and Ethan Blackadder go next season. They’re being well paid to sit in the injury ward every year. Better off putting those funds towards someone who might actually play.
6 Go to commentsShowed better basic skills than some nz Super sides, who probably would have botched some of those backline moves. This tournament really is too short though. Needs more teams, or have them play two rounds to properly prepare them for the near full-time NH U20 sides.
4 Go to commentsGood grief it’s only six months. Probably just upset it’s not an established kiwi entering their prime they can “project” into green to join the rest.
1 Go to commentsGood player but far from being best in the world. That's an exaggeration. Perhaps Best in world by Northern Hemisphere standards and biasis but certainly not Southern Hemi standards
3 Go to commentsWell one thing about World Cup knock out rounds and Ireland is very clear: they won’t be getting ahead of themselves in ‘27! Because making it beyond the QF is well and truly ‘IN THEIR HEADS’ now…😉
71 Go to commentsHas this guy been dope tested? Sounds like a case of “roid rage”.
1 Go to commentsI would like to see him say that to Eben face to face in a dark alley.
71 Go to commentsYep, lost in translation. There are arrogant people in Ireland, yes. As there are arrogant people in every country, but as a nation, arrogance is not a general characteristic in Ireland. There has not really had a strong representation for any global sport over the years, and hence arrogance is not endemic to Irish people in this regard. I seriously doubt that was said or meant by 12 or 13 players. If it was said, it would have been said in jest and to pay Etzebeth and the Springboks a compliment for how hard fought the game was.
71 Go to commentsOne of the few Bidwell articles I can agree with. If coaches played their players through niggles and consistently played them 80mins then you could make an argument for resting protocols - they obviously don’t and are incredibly responsible, let’s give up the resting nonsense and let the boys play.
4 Go to commentsDaniel Gallan, please for the love of all that is holy, stop writing about rugby. Or at the very least stop telling people you are South African.
21 Go to commentsThis Dr.Rassie 6-2 filth is spreading. We need to ask World Rugby to ban something
1 Go to commentsPity he couldn’t call him a liar to his face, such a brave man.
71 Go to comments“You ain’t counting to 12 or 13 straight after a game, son!” Just because you don’t doesn’t mean everyone else doesn’t “I reckon if anyone said it they would have said, ‘Hopefully, see you in the final’.” Oh, you “reckon”, do you? You weren’t there, you weren’t part of the conversation but you know what was said… Id10T
71 Go to commentsNZ has such a rich history of quality number nines, and woman beaters.
1 Go to commentsThat’s what happens when you are scared of scrums
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