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New Year’s resolutions for Premiership Women’s Rugby

SALE, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 16: Eti Haungatau of Sale Sharks breaks through the defence during the Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby match between Sale Sharks and Loughborough Lightning at Heywood Road on December 16, 2023 in Sale, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images for Sale Sharks)

Last week’s column, a festive look around the storylines and characters of Premiership Women’s Rugby, ended with the immortal words of Nineties gaming sensation, Bop It.

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‘Do it the same, but better’.

What we’re going for this week is a suggested amendment to that. It’s not quite as catchy, so you can see why Hasbro didn’t use it as their award-winning console’s pay-off, but it’s definitely worth pondering.

In 2024, the PWR needs to ‘do lots the same, but fight to make things even better – whilst also changing other bits.’ It’s clunky, but it’s accurate: in essence, the job’s not done yet – not at all.

In the light of a new year, as the mince pies dwindle and the pine needles start to tumble, here are a few ways you’d hope the competition pushes on in 2024…

More match action clips on socials! These – on every platform – have dropped off a cliff this season. Come on, IMG: let’s actually show people the product we’re growing – especially now there’s just one fixture shown per round, and it’s on a subscription-based channel.

On that note: the announcement of the new broadcast deal mentioned that discussions were ongoing about a supplementary free-to-air offering. That’s got to happen. The TNT coverage is truly something to be celebrated – it’s a huge improvement on the live-streams of recent years – but the real acceleration of this league will come when that’s combined with readily-available, cost-free coverage.

This is way above this column’s pay grade, but the EQP numbers don’t quite stack up right now, and that feels in need of addressing. EQP = England Qualified Player, and – at present – there must be at least 13 members of every match day squad who fit this description.

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For some clubs – particularly the more recently-formed ones – that’s a massive ask, and leaves teams forced to sideline their global stars, regardless of form or their contribution to the wider game in England.

The PWR is an English league, and it’s only right that young EQP talents are given opportunities to eventually become Red Roses – who are, in turn, at the heart of this world-beating product – but you don’t have to speak to many coaches before you hear of household names struggling for game time, and selectors tying themselves in knots to comply with this system.

Let’s improve attendances two-fold: both breaking records and raising averages. Saracens marketed the tinsel out of their Christmas Cracker up against Bristol – with bespoke content, cross-account promotion with the men’s team and their opponents, and a whole heap of work to spread the campaign far and wide. The result? Their second largest crowd ever.

Similarly, a near sell-out Twickenham was right royally entertained last week, as Harlequins smashed Big Game 15 out of the park – and encouraged 16,237 to enjoy at least part of the women’s fixture. ‘Most of them weren’t there for kick-off,’ I hear someone moan from the back. You’re right – plenty of them weren’t – but isn’t it terrific that a world record crowd experienced the PWR in some capacity..?

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And doesn’t it seem likely that they played their part in inspiring Amy Turner’s side to their grittiest performance of the season so far..? Treat yourself: take it as the win it was.

Those two are laudable peaks, but what needs to come next is not only outdoing them, but making sure that the games which aren’t colossal derbies or festive spectaculars are attracting better figures.

Across the board, we want to see numbers creeping up – round on round, season on season. My friend’s had an Arsenal Women season ticket for years, and remembers when – not all that long ago – crowds would max out at 3,000. This Christmas? They hit 59,042 for Chelsea’s trip to the Emirates. Rugby isn’t football, but that doesn’t mean we can’t expect progress – and dream big within that. 9,668 at Queensholm last year? Let’s fly past ten thousand in 2024.

If a suitable candidate can be found, the 2024/25 season should be contested by ten teams. No bye rounds: five competitive matches a weekend.

Speaking of competitiveness, it’d be fantastic to see two unprecedented things before the end of this campaign: a win for Leicester Tigers, and an away team finally triumphing in the semi-finals. Both would crank up the jeopardy, which is – of course – the holy grail of any league.

The standard of rugby is ever-improving in the PWR, and the gap between the table’s top and tail is narrowing. This season, whilst there feels a relatively preordained and unshakable top four, with five others battling it out beneath them – those two melees are compelling, and you’d not bet the Bounties rattling around that almost-finished tub of Celebrations on how the standings will look, come June.

Tigers and Trailfinders have looked to the manor born – much more competitive than either Wasps or DMP were able to prove last season – and they’re only going to get better.

I used to get excited when I’d write players’ honours alongside their names on team sheets and see six internationals in a pack. Now, I don’t bat an eyelid when 20 of the match day squad are capped – and the head-to-heads we enthuse about pre-game are the sort of titanic clashes you used to only see at World Cups.

Just look at how effortlessly athletes transition from club to country, and you’ve perfect proof of what rude health the level of competition is within the PWR. Maisy Allen, Delaney Burns, and Ella Wyrwas didn’t skip a beat last year on debut – because they’re playing Test match intensity stuff on a Saturday. In fact – they’re playing it on a Tuesday, too – because some of those squads are stacked enough that they’re training in a sea of world class players.

And, finally, anyone who considers themselves a supporter of the women’s game: make yourself heard and felt in 2024. Engage! Get involved however you can.

Read, watch, listen, learn, comment, attend, shout, sing, purchase, play, capture, and share the gospel. You have a crucial role to play in all of this: investment will come if the demand and potential is there, and that is in your hands.

Don’t let this be the year you merely dabble in the PWR: roll up your sleeves and commit to it with Marlie Packer energy and Neve Jones relish. Get stuck in.

As 2024 gets underway, we’ve never been in a better place – but we need to be restless within that, to ensure that the best is yet to come.

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Chris929 436 days ago

ideal scenario would have been TNT pick the game of the weekend to show and 2 other games shown on the bbc iplayer/website as before. being accessible and visible is huge. this season its not. It is important that young english players are getting opportunities but equally its important the league is competitive. if the red roses squad are mostly at the top few clubs,how do the other clubs compete without signing top foreign talent? we dont want big scorelines. why punish teams for trying to compete?maybe the red roses squad should be divided more equally among the clubs if the rfu insist on EQP numbers?

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Poorfour 436 days ago

For 2024, I’m very happy to see more non-EQPs in the squads and the coverage. Most of them are internationals in their own right, and many of them will be aiming to light upthe biggest stage at RWC 2025. The more we can build name recognition and get people interested in that, the greater the benefits for the women’s game as a whole - and by extension, all of rugby - will be

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Amelia Jonathan 2 hours ago
Don't get out over your skis on the Highlanders

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JW 5 hours ago
Crusaders vs Force takes: Let's talk about Sevu Reece, forgotten All Black returns

I think Reece has bulked up too much and now doesn’t have the pace to perform to his previously high standards. He’s making himself less of a winger but I’m not really sure he’s filling another role succinctly either. I think criticism at the AB level has seen him try to redevelop his game, I’m really not sure he can be continued to be used at the highest level. Definitely becoming the wing version Richie Mo’unga is possible (if not already attained) at Super Rugby level however. I loved watching him play when he first broke through.

The Force are undeniably much improved this season, but it’s going to take some reps to prove to themselves that they really can hang with the big dogs.

Yeah they’re still well off in the quality personal front.

It was the 21-year-old’s first appearance of the season, and he certainly made the most of it, with 13 carries accounting for 50 running metres – each of them passing by in a blur as Springer made his may to the try line time and time again.

Will Jordan was playmaking superbly to assist the youngster’s points tally, but it was all individual brilliance in the 53rd minute when Springer tiptoed down the sideline before collecting his own chip kick and outpacing the final two defenders to score under the posts.

After pre-season I said that I wanted Springer to cement the starting jersey, and that (well I’ve not no idea exactly which sides they play) another new wing recruit, Kunawave, would replace Reece as the Fijian Flyer in the team by season end. Reece might be making that tough, but unfortunately it looks like there wasn’t a full squad spot for the young fella and he has since made his AB7s debut instead. Watch this space though as he and Saifoloi look to have the X factor👍


That Jordan pass to Springer aside it was otherwise a very lackluster game for him as he looks to be struggling with processing his option taking in this new style he’s trying. Still have to think a man of that talent and ingenuity is going to make it click sooner or later though!

t’s a congested position, and after Ennor shot down talk of him being swept up by a Top 14 outfit this week, it looks as if the Crusaders have some selection headaches to solve in the coming weeks.

That’s great news. I can’t remember if it was because he actually made his return in pre-season or not but for some reason I was liking how Ennor looked like he might be providing the right options for Saders and even ABs when back. Very pleased to see him fit straight in though there was plenty of space on offer but he almost looked as if he was more dangerous with no space. Could be the long looked for option at 13?

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JW 6 hours ago
Chiefs vs Blues takes: Blues need Spider-Man, McKenzie is All Blacks’ form 10

Chiefs were in the driver’s seat for most of Saturday night’s fixture in the Tron

I don’t know about that. The majority of stats all favour the Blues.

Referee Ben O’Keeffe did show the rising star a yellow card during the second half after a series of infringements from the Blues, but that shouldn’t take away too much from the main point here. Taele looks at home with the Blues in Super Rugby Pacific.

There were a few errors that crept into his performance in that second half, but yes, I was surprised after watching him a few times how comfortable he looked in his role as a 2nd5, and even how well he performed it. It is a shame for Lam to be injured but I picked up a distinct difference in how the backline functioned by having Taele at twelve instead. I might not have given him another go this week but now it will be very interesting to see what Vern does and without knowing what else is going on (Pero might be fit enough to start and psuh Plummer to 12) I think he might start again (Heem has been very very good in the role in recent years, is he fit).

Shaun Stevenson fails to make an All Blacks-worthy statement

He’s leaving Hamish (don’t know how you missed that), it’s impossible to make a statement for AB selection, and that also be well out of his mind.


Watching him in Japan he looked to be struggling as much of his team. Which is often how I think his contributions have depended, how well he fits in with the team. He’s a very unique player and I don’t think the Chiefs have anywhere near the right momentum and structure to unlock Shaun’s strengths. In saying that I thought he played well and that pass showed he’s in a great headspace, you might also be overplaying Corey’s contribution, which from the weekend would be of greatest value if he was Lams midfield replacement imo. I’d like Forbes to return this weekend and don’t think Corey did enough to take that opportunity away from him.

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J
Jahmirwayle 6 hours ago
Mixed Wales update on availability of Josh Adams, Gareth Anscombe

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JW 6 hours ago
Super Rugby Pacific has turned the ship around in the right direction

“We want jeopardy in our competition, right? We want ladder movement. We don’t want teams to stay in the same ladder position that they were in last year.

You need promotion relegation then. You cannot always rely on 4 teams being the right number for Australia, it could mean that they are too strong in future. Or that Fijian Drua doesn’t always has the players to knock of the best.

“We want unexpected results. We want every fan to be sitting here on a Friday at lunchtime going ‘I’m a chance this weekend’.’’ 

Oh, so you want a made up fantasy league like the NFL, rather than a quantifiable competition like NPC, and to a lesser degree, then NRL. Meaningless rather than meaningful, you don’t want the best of NSW taking on the best of Queensland, or the Blues region versus the Chiefs region.


There is still huge room for improvement in the way rugby is played and officiated, it is an incredibly young professional sport. Some of these introduced concepts are tricks taken from others and have done a lot to engage and increase Super Rugby’s appeal, but there has been a hint of whether the game is selling it’s soul to get back on the table.

For me, Super Rugby’s best years were around the turn of the millennium, when the Crusaders and Brumbies held sway. The speed with which possession was recycled at the breakdown and the minutes the ball was in play remains my benchmark for flowing rugby. 

Have you used you’re own license for viewing “feels rather than facts” here Hamish?


I agree, the rugby isn’t as good as it has been at times in the recent past, but it is more engaging. Which I think is due to a whole factor of fortunate and one off reasons, along with targeted ones.

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LONG READ
LONG READ 'Wales v England has a special resonance and can make a mockery of what has gone before’ 'Wales v England has a special resonance and can make a mockery of what has gone before’
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