Premiership Women's Rugby, officially known as Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby or The Allianz PWR, is an annual semi-professional women's rugby union club competition at the highest level of the English rugby union system, and is run by the Rugby Football Union (RFU). It is contested by nine clubs who play two series of round-robin matches to determine the four participants of a single-elimination tournament. It began play in the 2017–18 season, superseding the former Women's Premiership, and introducing elements of professionalism in the sport's highest level. In its first six seasons, the competition was known as the Premier 15s. Gloucester-Hartpury are the current champions, while Saracens have won the most championships (3).
Current season, competition or edition: 2023–24 Premiership Women's Rugby | |
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| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2017 |
| First season | 2017–18 |
| CEO | Belinda Moore |
| Administrator | RFU |
| No. of teams | 9 |
| Country |  England |
| Most recent champion(s) | Gloucester-Hartpury (1st title) (2022–23) |
| Most titles | Saracens (3 titles) |
| TV partner(s) | TNT Sports |
| Level on pyramid | Level 1 |
| Relegation to | No relegation |
| Domestic cup(s) | Allianz Cup |
| Official website | www |
Premiership Women's Rugby runs concurrently with the Allianz Cup, a similar annual competition contested by the same clubs, in which the teams are instead split into two pools, and only play one series of round-robin matches to determine places in the competition's tournament. The Allianz Cup began play in the 2021–22 season and has been won twice by Exeter Chiefs.
History
2016–2023: Premier 15s
The RFU founded the competition as "Women's Super Rugby" in October 2016, committing to a three-year, £2.4 million investment.[1][2][3] A bidding process was opened to clubs seeking to operate a franchise in the new league, with the RFU initially planning to have all eight Women's Premiership teams and two new teams compete.[3] Minimum standards were raised for aspiring franchise owners, such as requiring clubs to invest in professional training facilities and coaching resources.[3][4]
After interviews with twelve clubs at Twickenham Stadium, the RFU announced the league's ten foundation clubs in February 2017.[5][6] The decision to admit all Premiership clubs (Aylesford Bulls Ladies being taken over by Harlequins to become Harlequins Ladies) except for Lichfield Ladies, despite their fifteen-year presence in the top flight, was controversial. As the club expressed being "disgusted, disappointed and dumbfounded",[7] Leicester Tigers, and Member for Lichfield Michael Fabricant, unsuccessfully attempted to overturn the decision,[8][9] with the latter claiming the selection of only ten teams violated the Equality Act 2010, as the men's Premiership Rugby had twelve teams.[9] The Thurrock T-Birds, who won the 2016–17 Championship 1 South season, also unsuccessfully attempted to appeal their exclusion.[10][11]
The seven Premiership clubs would join Gloucester-Hartpury, Loughborough Lightning, and Waterloo in the inaugural season of the league, which had been rebranded to the "Premier 15s" prior to its start. Potato crisps manufacturer Tyrrells obtained its naming rights for three years, in what was described by the RFU as "the biggest ever financial investment in women's club rugby."[1][12][13]
Financial services company Allianz began their naming rights sponsorship ahead of the 2020–21 season.[14] The two independent clubs, Richmond and Waterloo, were replaced with the Premiership Rugby-affiliated Exeter Chiefs and Sale Sharks. The RFU stressed the need for financially viable clubs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.[15] Worcester Warriors were temporarily suspended during the 2022–23 season due to financial difficulties.[16] These were resolved within a month and Worcester were unsuspended.[17]
2023 onwards: Premiership Women's Rugby
Trailfinders and Leicester Tigers were admitted into the league in the 2023–24 season, as the competition rebranded to "Premiership Women's Rugby".[18][19] Sale Sharks and Worcester Warriors were initially excluded from the 2023–24 season alongside DMP Sharks and Wasps. Sale and Worcester were given conditional invitations by the RFU to rejoin for the 2023–24 season, in order to maintain the number of clubs in the league at ten.[20][21]
Withdrawal of Worcester Warriors Women
On 17 October 2023 the owners of Worcester Warriors Women, Cube International, notified the RFU and PWR that they intended to withdraw Worcester Warriors Women from Premiership Women's Rugby and the Allianz Cup.[22][23] The impact on the season's fixtures was not announced, however Worcester's next fixture, the Allianz Cup match against Bristol Bears Women was cancelled.[22][23]
Teams
Ten were originally going to compete in the 2023-24 season of Premiership Women's Rugby and the Allianz Cup. This was reduced to nine following the withdrawal of Worcester.
| Team | Established | Location | Stadium | Capacity | Titles (last) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol Bears | 1984 | Bristol | Shaftesbury Park | 200 | – (N/A) |
| Ashton Gate | 27,000 | ||||
| Exeter Chiefs | 2019 | Exeter | Sandy Park | 15,600 | – (N/A) |
| Gloucester-Hartpury | 2014 | Hartpury | The Hartpury Arena | 2,000 | 1 (2023) |
| Gloucester | Kingsholm Stadium | 16,115 | |||
| Harlequins | 1995[a] | Twickenham (London) | Twickenham Stoop | 14,800 | 1 (2021) |
| Leicester Tigers | 2021 | Leicester | Welford Road | 25,849 | – (N/A) |
| Loughborough Lightning | 1970s[a] | Northampton | cinch stadium at Franklin's Gardens[24] | 14,249 | – (N/A) |
| Sale Sharks | 2020 | Sale (Manchester) | Heywood Road | 3,387 | – (N/A) |
| Saracens | 1989 | Hendon (London) | StoneX Stadium | 10,500 | 3 (2022) |
| Trailfinders | 2023 | Ealing (London) | Trailfinders Sports Ground | 5,000 | – (N/A) |
All time
A total of 14 clubs have been involved in the top flight since the league's inception in the 2017–18 season. The most recent clubs to make debuts in Premiership Woman's Rugby were Trailfinders Women and Leicester Tigers Women, who made their top-flight debut in the 2023–24 season.
Five clubs — Bristol, Gloucester-Hartpury, Harlequins, Loughborough and Saracens — have appeared in every season to date.
Below is a list of clubs that have participated in the competition and the number of full seasons they've competed in. Clubs currently active are marked in bold, while those that have been ever-present in are listed in bold italics. The last column shows the seasons each club has participated in, including the current one.
Note: The 2019–20 season is not counted as it was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Team | Seasons Competed | Seasons Participated |
|---|---|---|
| Bristol Bears | 5 | 2017–18 to 2023–24 |
| Darlington Mowden Park Sharks | 5 | 2017–18 to 2023 |
| Exeter Chiefs | 3 | 2020–21 to 2023–24 |
| Gloucester-Hartpury | 5 | 2017–18 to 2023–24 |
| Harlequins | 5 | 2017–18 to 2023–24 |
| Leicester Tigers | 2023–24 | |
| Loughborough Lightning | 5 | 2017–18 to 2023–24 |
| Richmond | 2 | 2017–18 to 2018–19 |
| Sale Sharks | 3 | 2020–21 to 2023–24 |
| Saracens | 5 | 2017–18 to 2023–24 |
| Trailfinders | 2023–24 | |
| Wasps | 5 | 2017–18 to 2023 |
| Waterloo | 2 | 2017–18 to 2018–19 |
| Worcester Warriors | 5 | 2017–18 to 2023 |
Sponsorship
| Period | Sponsor | Name | League Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–2020 |  Tyrrells Potato Crisps | Tyrrells Premier 15s | Premier 15s |
| 2020–2023 |  Allianz | Allianz Premier 15s | |
| 2023–current | Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby | Premiership Women's Rugby |
Structure
League season
The Premiership Women's Rugby league season typically runs from September to June and comprises 18 rounds of matches, with each club playing each other home and away. In the 2023–24 season, each club also hadbye weeks. The results of the matches contribute points to the league as follows:
- 4 points are awarded for a win
- 2 points are awarded for a draw
- 0 points are awarded for a loss, however
- 1 losing (bonus) point is awarded to a team that loses a match by 7 points or fewer
- 1 additional (bonus) point is awarded to a team scoring 4 tries or more in a match
Playoffs
Following the completion of the regular season, the top 4 teams enter the playoffs, which are held in June. The top two teams receive home advantage, the league leaders hosting the 4th ranked team, and the 2nd place team hosting the 3rd place team. The winners of these semi-finals progress to the final, with no set venue, with the winner of the final being crowned champions. In the inaugural season, the play-offs comprised back-to-back home and away fixtures, with the winner being determined by an aggregate score. This was changed to single matches from the following season onwards.[2]
Champions
| Season |  Champions | Final | Runner-up  | Top of Table |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Saracens | 24–20 | Harlequins | Saracens |
| 2018–19 | Saracens | 33–17 | Harlequins | Saracens |
| 2019–20 | Season abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||
| 2020–21 | Harlequins | 25–17 | Saracens | Saracens |
| 2021–22 | Saracens | 43–21 | Exeter Chiefs | Saracens |
| 2022–23 | Gloucester-Hartpury | 34–19 | Exeter Chiefs | Gloucester-Hartpury |
| 2023–24 | Gloucester-Hartpury | |||
Summary of winners
| # | Team | Champions | Years as champions | Runners-up | Years as runners-up | Top of league table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saracens | 3 | 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22 | 1 | 2020–21 | 4 |
| 2 | Harlequins | 1 | 2020–21 | 2 | 2017–18, 2018–19 | — |
| Gloucester-Hartpury | 1 | 2022–23 | 0 | — | 2 |
Player records
All player records relate to the 2017–18 season onwards, following the launch of the Premier 15s competition (which was later re-branded as Premiership Women's Rugby).[25]
- As of 24 June 2023
Points
| Rank | Nationality | Player | Club(s) | Years | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | Zoe Harrison | Saracens | 2017– | 523 |
| 2 | England | Ellie Green | Harlequins, Worcester Warriors, Trailfinders | 2017– | 484 |
| 3 | England | Emma Sing | Gloucester-Hartpury | 2018– | 463 |
| 4 | England | Ellie Rugman | Gloucester-Hartpury | 2018– | 454 |
| 5 | England | Poppy Cleall | Saracens | 2017– | 425 |
| 6 | England | Marlie Packer | Saracens | 2017– | 410 |
| 7 | England | Abby Dow | Wasps, Harlequins, Trailfinders | 2017– | 388 |
| 8 | England | Lark Atkin-Davies | Worcester Warriors, Loughborough Lightning, Bristol Bears | 2017– | 385 |
| 9 | England | Jess Breach | Harlequins, Saracens | 2017– | 380 |
| 10 | England | Helena Rowland | Saracens, Loughborough Lightning | 2017– | 359 |
Tries
| Rank | Nationality | Player | Club(s) | Years | Tries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | Poppy Cleall | Saracens | 2017– | 85 |
| 2 | England | Marlie Packer | Saracens | 2017– | 82 |
| 3 | England | Ellie Rugman | Gloucester-Hartpury | 2018– | 78 |
| 4 | England | Lark Atkin-Davies | Worcester Warriors, Loughborough Lightning, Bristol Bears | 2017– | 77 |
| 5 | England | Jess Breach | Harlequins, Saracens | 2017– | 76 |
| 6 | England | Abby Dow | Wasps, Harlequins, Trailfinders | 2017– | 74 |
| 7 | England | May Campbell | Saracens | 2017– | 61 |
| 8 | England | Kelly Taylor | Gloucester-Hartpury | 2017– | 59 |
| 9 | England | Claudia MacDonald | Darlington Mowden Park Sharks, Wasps, Exeter Chiefs | 2017– | 58 |
| 10 | England | Heather Cowell | Worcester Warriors, Harlequins | 2017– | 57 |
Goal kicking
| Rank | Nationality | Player | Club(s) | Years | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | Ellie Green | Harlequins, Worcester Warriors, Trailfinders | 2017– | 459 |
| 2 | England | Zoe Harrison | Saracens | 2017– | 423 |
| 3 | England | Emma Sing | Gloucester-Hartpury | 2018– | 333 |
| 4 | England | Amber Reed | Bristol Bears | 2017– | 289 |
| 5 |  United States | Gabby Cantorna | Exeter Chiefs | 2020– | 288 |
| 6 | England | Helena Rowland | Saracens, Loughborough Lightning | 2017– | 234 |
| 7 | England | Lagi Tuima | Bristol Bears, Harlequins | 2017– | 229 |
| 8 | England | Katy Daley-McLean | Loughborough Lightning, Sale Sharks | 2017–21 | 208 |
| 9 |  New Zealand | Lizzie Goulden | Wasps, Loughborough Lightning, Gloucester-Hartpury | 2017– | 197 |
| 10 |  Wales | Flo Williams | Loughborough Lightning, Wasps, Saracens | 2017– | 184 |
Broadcast
In the 2022-23 season, at least two matches per round were streamed on the competition website. At least one of these matches will also be shown on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Red Button. Both semi-finals and the final were shown on the competition website, BBC iPlayer, and the BBC Red Button.[26] As part of Harlequins Big Game double-header with Harlequins Men, TNT Sports broadcast one regular season game as well as both semi-finals and the final. Unlike the BBC, TNT Sports uses its own punditry and commentary for the matches they broadcast.[27]
From the 2023-24 season, TNT Sports gained broadcasting rights to one game per weekend as well as both the semi-finals and the final.[28][29][30] As part of the deal, there is provision for a free-to-air provider to show both the semi-finals and final.[30] The competition CEO Belinda Moore revealed that discussions to try to gain a terrestrial broadcaster for the competition were ongoing.[30] The same game shown by TNT sports will be aired by The Rugby Network in the United States and Canada and by RugbyPassTV outside of the UK, Ireland, US, and Canada.[31][32] BBC Sport and BBC iPlayer began showing select games from round 13 onwords.[33]
| Territory | Rights holder | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | BBC Sport & BBC iPlayer[b] | [33] |
United Kingdom Ireland | TNT Sports & Discovery+[c] | [28] |
United States Canada | The Rugby Network+[c] | [31] |
| Rest of World | Rugbypass TV[c] | [32] |