Your 2023-24 Allianz PWR season review of every club

Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby delivered fireworks from Round 1 all the way to the showpiece finale at Sandy Park.

It was a season in which Gloucester-Hartpury claimed back-to-back titles, Saracens lifted the Allianz Cup and, of course, every team was Powered Differently.

As the dust settles on a magnificent campaign and 2024/25 begins to hone into view, here is our definitive club-by-club season review:

Bristol Bears

A third-placed finish in the table landed Bears a third consecutive semi-final and after a stunning comeback against Saracens at StoneX, Bristol made their first ever PWR Final.

Breaking barriers on the pitch was a theme for the West Country club, as Abbie Ward’s remarkable return to rugby was voted Moment of the Season.

Ahead of a 48-5 victory against Sale Sharks at Ashton Gate Stadium, the 31-year-old stepped on to the pitch with her daughter Hallie, just 17 weeks after giving birth.

While Bears might feel disheartened, losing the final after leading 17-7 at half-time, they will celebrate their ongoing progress and look to build further next campaign.

Exeter Chiefs

Fourth-placed Chiefs recorded nine wins, six losses and one draw this season.

Their best performance came midway through the season when they stormed to a 64-5 win - their biggest winning margin of the season - against Sale Sharks.

Their impressive 33.75 average points per game was the second best of all Premiership Women's Rugby teams, largely thanks to Alex Tessier’s 141 pin-point precision kicks which saw her named in the 2023/24 XV team of the season.

With solid foundations Exeter will hope to improve upon their 50-50 away record and aim for a top-two finish next year.

Gloucester-Hartpury

Gloucester-Hartpury became the second side to win back-to-back PWR titles, with a dramatic 36-24 comeback win against Bristol Bears in the final.

They finished six points clear at the top of the table and lost just one match all season, by two points, to Saracens.

Emma Sing’s 156 points across the season made a huge contribution to the team’s dominance as she racked up and impressive 37.72 average points per game.

One of the best things to come from the campaign might be the emergence of Steph Else, named the Young Player of the Season for her breakthrough campaign. She will be one to watch as the Circus set their sights on winning three in a row.

Harlequins

Harlequins finished a steady seventh in this season's Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby, but enjoyed a banner year off the pitch.

Quins broke the world record for a women's club match in December at Big Game 15, when 16,237 fans travelled from The Stoop to Twickenham Stadium to watch the side do battle with Gloucester-Hartpury.

On the pitch, star full back Ellie Kildunne earned PWR Team of the Season honours and will play a key role if Quins are to meet with success next season.

The soon-to-be Olympian averaged the most defenders beaten (6.9) and the most metres carried (141) per 80 minutes of any player, while also having the highest tackle evasion rate of any player to face over 50 tackles this campaign.

Leicester Tigers

Leicester Tigers finished eighth in their inaugural PWR campaign.

The Midlands club had to wait until January to record their first-ever PWR victory, where they picked up a 22-19 win against their hosts Sale Sharks, before backing that result up with an away win at fifth-placed Loughborough Lightning.

Meg Jones marked her first season at Mattioli Woods Welford Road with a string of impressive performances as she was voted PWR Player of the Season and named in Team GB's squad for this summer's Olympic Games in Paris.

And though Leicester recorded two wins versus 14 losses, they will enter next season tried, tested and eager to build momentum.

Loughborough Lightning

Loughborough Lightning's strong finish to the season can give them cause for optimism ahead of next campaign.

Finishing fifth in Nathan Smith's first year as head coach, the club ended the season with three victories from their final five matches.

Prolific try-scorer Bo Westcombe-Evans contributed 13 tries in her breakthrough season in the East Midlands and will be a valuable source of points again in 2024/25.

Having made significant strides this season, Loughborough will enter the new campaign with aspirations of securing a spot in the top four in a years' time.

9⃣ #PWR stars are heading to @Paris2024 🤩

Read what the players had to say after getting picked in @TeamGB's squad for the Olympic Games ⤵️#PWR #PoweredDifferently @allianzuknews

— Premiership Women's Rugby (@ThePWR) June 20, 2024

Sale Sharks

Sale Sharks enjoyed an historic campaign despite their ninth-placed finish.

The club marked International Women's Day 2024 by hosting the club's first-ever women's team game at the Salford Community Stadium, where they faced Ealing Trailfinders in a 26-10 loss.

Sharks were able to end their season on a high by dispatching eventual finalists Bristol Bears 27-24.

After reminding the PWR of their quality against Bristol, Sharks will look to replicate such feats and climb the table next season.

Saracens

Despite a second-place finish, Saracens missed out on a ticket to the final, losing 21-29 at home to Bristol Bears in the semi-final.

With an average points per game of 40.29 across the season, they finished 12 points ahead of Bears, and went into the play-offs as favourites.

Despite losing their semi-final clash, they will take pride from a campaign which saw them lose only three times and lift the Allianz Cup, following a 31-17 win over the Bears at Shaftesbury Park.

Trailfinders Women

Trailfinders Women’s first PWR campaign proved to be a test of endurance, both mentally and physically, as they fought to establish themselves amongst the crowd.

Recording seven wins in total, the London side managed to construct an impressive three-match winning streak, which included a decisive 54-5 victory over Leicester Tigers.

Their maiden campaign was made all the brighter by the arrival of Abby Dow on the wing. The Red Roses star finished the season as the league's top try-scorer with 13 scores to her name.

ALLIANZ CUP CHAMPIONS 🏆

Congratulations @SaracensWomen 👏 #PWR | @allianzuknews pic.twitter.com/rDn67U0FDR

— Premiership Women's Rugby (@ThePWR) April 28, 2024