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What to watch in women’s rugby: Top four hunt PWR glory
Nine teams have been whittled down to just four in the race to become Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) champions.
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Reigning champions Gloucester-Hartpury, Saracens, Bristol Bears and Exeter Chiefs are the clubs still jostling for the English club game’s ultimate prize.
Such was the quartet’s dominance this season, we have known the identity of the semi-finalists for some weeks but that has not diminished the excitement for the play-offs.
Table-topping Gloucester-Hartpury and regular season runners-up Saracens were the teams to secure the coveted home semi-finals, with the former taking on Exeter this Sunday and the latter Bristol.
History suggests the task facing both the Bears and Chiefs is a tough one, as no lower-seeded team has ever won a semi-final since England’s top division was rebranded (initially as the Premier 15s) in 2017.
You won’t want to miss any of the action and both matches will be available to stream live and for free on RugbyPass TV except where there is a local broadcast deal in place (UK, Ireland, Canada and USA).
Form teams collide in north London
Saracens host the opening match of the 2024 PWR play-offs as Bristol Bears arrive in north London bidding to break through their semi-final glass ceiling.
According to Canada captain Sophie de Goede, Saracens are peaking at the right time in their quest for a league and cup double, and it is hard to argue with that assessment.
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Since losing to Sunday’s opponents in Bristol at the beginning of March, Saracens have swept all before them.
Following that defeat, Alex Austerberry’s side surged to the Allianz Cup title – beating the Bears in the final – and finished the PWR regular season with four consecutive victories to secure Sunday’s home semi-final.
Bristol were also beaten 32-10 at StoneX Stadium in December and the majority of the fans heading to north London this weekend will expect a repeat of that result and for the home side’s winning run to continue into another domestic final.
However, that scoreline did not tell the full story of the regular season meeting in the capital. Saracens trailed 10-5 early in the second half before the hosts scored five tries in the last 25 minutes to pull away.
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Moreover, Sunday’s visitors are energised by the opportunity to create history this weekend and provided a blueprint of how to beat Saracens in their 35-10 victory three months ago.
Two tries in the opening six minutes set the tone for the Bears at Shaftesbury Park back in March and they will hope to make a fast start at StoneX on Sunday too.
Sunday, 9 June
14:00 BST (GMT+1) – Saracens v Bristol Bears, StoneX Stadium – WATCH LIVE HERE
Chiefs out to spoil champions’ party
Gloucester-Hartpury put their hopes of back-to-back top-flight titles on the line against Exeter Chiefs in Sunday’s second PWR semi-final.
The Circus fell just short of an unbeaten regular season, losing a nail-biting contest against Saracens 33-31 on the penultimate weekend in north London.
Defeat left the champions with 15 victories from their 16 matches but mattered little in material terms as their barnstorming form had already secured top seeding for the play-offs.
“Personally, I think losing [against Saracens] was the best thing that could have happened to us,” Gloucester number eight Alex Matthews told RugbyPass last week.
“Because we’ll go away, we’ll learn a lot more and I think you just want it that little bit more for those play-offs.”
Gloucester’s players rested up last weekend as the final day unfolded and the Chiefs secured a nine-try 59-27 win against Leicester Tigers at Sandy Park.
Susie Appleby’s side finished fourth in the regular season standings, 19 points adrift of Sunday’s opponents having suffered two narrow defeats at the hands of the Circus.
Yet, Chiefs have plenty of motivation heading into Sunday’s second semi-final. Not only will they want revenge for last year’s PWR final defeat but there is also the pull of playing this season’s showpiece match on home soil.
This is not a contest you will want to miss.
Sunday, 9 June
16:30 BST (GMT+1) – Gloucester-Hartpury v Exeter Chiefs, Kingsholm – WATCH LIVE HERE
Watch Bump in the Road
Whatever happens at StoneX Stadium this Sunday, Bristol Bears second-row Abbie Ward can be delighted with how her season has unfolded.
England star Ward returned to the pitch last November, only 17 weeks after the birth of her daughter Hallie.
Since then, Ward has made 13 PWR appearances as the Bears booked their place in the semi-finals, and on Monday was confirmed as one of 32 Red Roses players to be awarded full-time contracts for the 2024-25 season.
You can follow her journey through pregnancy, the beginning of life as a mother and her return to the Bears set-up in the ground-breaking documentary Abbie Ward: Bump in the Road.
Ward’s husband Dave is also her Bears head coach, and features in the documentary with the unique perspective of partner, father and coach.
He says during the documentary: “For Hallie to grow up in an environment where women are doing amazing things in sport, it’s great.”
“I want to be a world-class player. I want to be a world-class mum,” Ward says. “The challenge is, can you be both?”
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