Premiership Women's Rugby preview: Teams, star players, and ones to watch in the new season

Ahead of the exciting new dawn for Premiership Women’s Rugby, here’s everything you need to know about the teams and players to be keeping an eye out for when the new-look league kicks off on the 18th of November.

Bristol Bears Women

Dave Ward has transitioned the Bears from a team who were talented but inconsistent into one of the toughest teams in the league to face. Packed with experience from the likes of Amber Reed and Rownita Marston-Mulhearn. They also have a production line of young talent emerging, including Great Britain Sevens speedster Grace Crompton. Their pack is one of the most mobile in the league, typified by Simi Pam, an underrated scrummager who is an absolute menace in the loose.

Star Player: Sarah Bern. The Red Roses tighthead is the best in the world in her position. Probably would be even if she moved to a different role. When she is available the Bears are a markedly better team and this season the calendar should be kind to them in that regard.

One To Watch: Meg Varley. The former Warrior has been a key player in Worcester and, after a season troubled by injury, decided to make the move to Bristol. A hard-hitting centre who defends excellently and makes real ground with her carries, she was tipped for a Red Roses call-up a couple of seasons ago. A good year in the West Country could propel her to that level.

What does a good season look like? Making the playoff final. As losing semi-finalists for the last two seasons Ward’s team will be desperate to take that next step.

Exeter Chiefs Women

Fast becoming the bridesmaids of the PWR, Exeter have been to the last two finals only to leave empty-handed. They’ve had great success in the Allianz Cup and Susie Appleby will be very keen to channel that back into their league performance. They’ve got a wealth of talent and some very exciting players breaking through, but they’ve also lost a couple of big names including the talismanic Kate Zackary.

Star Player: Cliodhna Moloney. Inexplicably still ostracised by Ireland, Moloney is the perfect hooker. Rock solid at set piece, ferocious at the breakdown and a dangerous ball carrier to boot. Ireland’s loss is Exeter’s gain as she’s pretty much ever-present for her club and incredibly consistent in those performances.

One To Watch: Nancy McGillivray. The exciting young fly-half was much missed in last season’s final, leaving the coach on crutches. Having her back in the mix this season gives Chiefs an extra attacking option, and one the Red Roses are keeping an eye on, having called her into last season’s Six Nations camp.

What does a good season look like? Going one step further. Appleby’s two-time finalists are craving lifting that trophy at the end of the season and I can’t see them setting their sights on anything less.

Gloucester-Hartpury Women

Nothing seems to phase Sean Lynn. When his team are excelling, he’s all smiles, but even when they stutter he seeks out the positives and focuses on what’s next rather than dwelling on the negative. Last season it paid off, with some astute signings helping the team to the title and Kingsholm was rocking at the final whistle. Time will tell whether they can repeat the heroics of 2022-23 but you can be sure they’ll do their best and all the time with smiles on their faces as they seem to genuinely love every minute on the field.

Star Player: Natasha Hunt. No player personifies their team better than Mo. She typifies their approach – plenty of skill, underpinned by steely determination and effort.

One To Watch: Trudy Cowan. Hugely underrated throughout DMP’s time in the Premier 15s, Cowan is a dream player for a coach. Happy to be deployed to meet the team needs – she’s an openside flanker who regularly plays on the blindside, at 8 or even in the engine room – she never fails to give her all and consistently sits in the top end of tackle stats. She adds grit to Gloucester’s trademark flair.

What does a good season look like? Maintaining form. The Cherry and Whites took last season one game at a time and found themselves winning it all. Keeping that attitude in place will mean they have every chance of doing the same again.

Harlequins Women

After years as ever-present finalists in the league, Quins have fallen away in the last two seasons as they’ve gone into something of a rebuild. Amy Turner has made some changes in the off-season, losing Amy Cokayne but replacing her with Connie Powell and bringing Shaunagh Brown out of retirement. Most important for her will be bringing young players through and giving them good experience.

Star Player: Emily Scott. Scottie may not be a Red Roses regular these days, but for her club, she’s a stalwart. Whether at 10 or 15 she is the fulcrum that moves her team from attack to defence and there aren’t many who can match her for finding space either for a mazy run or to set up a teammate.

One To Watch: Freya Aucken. She’s been in and around the team for a few years as a utility back, but look out for her to challenge new signing Flo Robinson and Red Rose Lucy Packer for the scrum-half jersey this season as her confidence is boosted following a recent GB7s call up.

What does a good season look like? Returning to the playoff picture. After winning it all in 2021, they failed to make the final the following year and last season didn’t feature in the playoff picture at all. They’ll be targeting fourth place and all the options it opens up.

Leicester Tigers Women

Vicky Macqueen has built her Tigers side on the bedrock of the Leicester team who performed so well in Championship 1 last season. This gives her a core group who know each other well and who have some elite-level experience courtesy of the likes of Lucy Nye. On top of that, she’s recruited hard, bringing in some top players including GB7s and Red Roses playmaker Meg Jones. Time will tell whether their squad gels, but it is bursting with potential.

Star Player: Amy Cokayne. The Red Roses hooker is one of the best all-rounders in the game and even if she is out injured to start the season she will set the standard for her teammates and her return will be an inevitable catalyst.

One To Watch: Amanda Swartz. Moving across from Lightning will allow Sweden captain Swartz to show her quality. The outside centre did a great job in Loughborough and made it a lot easier for them to cope with Emily Scarratt’s absence. She’s an outside back who has moved to 13 more recently and still has an eye for a gap to dance through, but she isn’t lacking in physical presence either.

What does a good season look like? Being in the mix. Despite a few big-name signings, the core of the Tigers team will be stepping up from the Championship, so holding their own in games will be the biggest test this season, building a platform that they can use to progress in future years.

Loughborough Lightning Women

Newly installed head coach Nathan Smith will have his work cut out moving Lightning from a squad primarily focused on development to one who whose goal is simply to win. He’ll be helped along the way by experienced internationals including Scotland fly-half Helen Nelson.

Star Player: Rachel Malcolm. A captain’s captain, Malcolm never shirks her responsibilities, never gives less than her all and never fails to inspire those around her.

One To Watch: Abby Duguid. The Canadian lock was a key piece the last time the Lightning went to the semi-finals and her return adds extra power to the Loughborough pack.

What does a good season look like? Not coming last! The two teams who finished below Lightning last season are no longer in the league. Loughborough have made semi-finals in the past but their slide down the table in recent seasons has been dramatic so doing what they can to stop that and stabilise will be a positive result.

Sale Sharks Women

Former Wales international Rachel Taylor has changed the mindset of Sale Sharks over the past 12 months and early last season they showed their newfound faith in themselves with a blistering run of form. They’ll look to do the same to start this campaign, but with a few key new additions including Red Roses lock/back row Morwenna Talling, they’ve added a little extra quality to try and maintain that form when it comes.

Star Player: Georgie Perris-Redding. A natural leader, a tough tackling forward who moves like an outside back, a US Eagle. Georgie is the local girl who has risen to every challenge thrown at her and Sale fans love her for that. When she plays well so does the team around her.

One To Watch: Beatrice Rigoni. Beatrice is box office. From strolling into stadiums in sunglasses to practised nonchalance while ripping apart opposing defences, Rigoni lights up games whenever she pulls on the blue of Italy. No doubt she’ll do the same in a Sharks shirt.

What does a good season look like? Being well clear of the bottom. Sharks finished 7th last season and 9th the two seasons before. They’ll want to continue that momentum and as much as they are aiming for the other end of the table, security in 6th/7th place will be a positive result.

Saracens Women

Fresh off their first time missing the final, this will be a Saracens side with a chip on their shoulder. Alex Austerberry has built a squad who are incredibly tough to beat. A big, gnarly pack and some electric backs, it all adds up to a headache for opposition teams. Marlie Packer will lead from the front and the return of Zoe Harrison will be much anticipated as when she is fit and firing she orchestrates the team perfectly

Star Player: Sophie de Goede. The Canadian captain returns to North London where she was a game-breaker during her previous stay. In a team full of Red Roses, it’s the Canuck who can be a difference-maker.

One To Watch: Bryony Field. The former Lightning hooker is a livewire presence in the front row and gets through so much work in the loose you’d be forgiven for thinking there were two of her.

What does a good season look like? Winning. Saracens have their name all over the trophy and will want to add it again at the earliest opportunity, especially given that last season was the first time they have not been present on the final day of the season.

Trailfinders Women

Give Giselle Mather a blank page to write up her ultimate rugby team and you’ll get a mobile, versatile 15 with a phenomenal work rate and a never-say-die attitude. During her time at Wasps, they were always a tough team to play against and were renowned for unearthing players and polishing them into stars. Mather has assembled a core of her former charges (Abby Dow and Liz Crake are notable names), cherry-picked some talent from around the league and some new faces to English rugby including South Africa hooker Lindelwa Gwala. Trailfinders will be a fascinating team to follow as they play out their inaugural season.

Star Player: Kate Zackary. The ultimate Swiss army knife player, Zackary is an impressive number 8 who played all last season in the centres for Exeter and was their best player. A huge asset for Trailfinders both in terms of her ability and her leadership.

One To Watch: Ellie Green. Brought in when Warriors sadly collapsed before the season started, Green adds some serious firepower at fly-half with a powerful boot and an eye for a pass. She could be the difference between a good season and a great one at Vallis Way.

What does a good season look like? At their best, Mather’s Wasps teams were hugely competitive and trouble for any team on their day, fighting their way into the top four. Trailfinders will want to do the same, so if they are in playoff contention in the closing weeks of the season that will be a big win for them.