Preview: PWR Up Series ready for lift-off in Round 1

Premiership Women’s Rugby clubs will have their first tune-ups ahead of the 2024/25 season this weekend as the first round of fixtures in the innovative PWR Up Series take place.

The action kicks off on Saturday afternoon as Sale Sharks welcome Loughborough Lightning before two more matches take place on Sunday.

PWR champions Gloucester-Hartpury take on Exeter Chiefs at Hartpury University Stadium while there is a London derby between Trailfinders and Harlequins.

Saturday 7 September

Sale Sharks v Loughborough Lightning

2pm, CorpAcq Stadium

Sale Sharks endured a difficult campaign in 2023/24, winning just three of their PWR fixtures as they finished eighth in the table, and they welcome a Lightning side who struggled for consistency last time out in coming fifth.

The Sharks have named three debutants in their starting line-up with USA international Olivia Ortiz directing operations at scrum-half following her summer arrival from Exeter Chiefs.

The other two new Sale faces are in the back row where Trudy Cowan, a former champion with Gloucester-Hartpury, starts on the blindside with Spaniard Alba Capell at openside.

Set to make their Sharks debuts off the bench are Italy captain Sofia Stefan, who signed in the summer from Valsugana, and former Hartpury University prop Evie Roach.

England international Daisy Hibbert-Jones captains Loughborough against her former club while Bo Westcombe-Evans starts on the wing after being released from the Red Roses’ squad.

New signing, and Wales Under-20 international, Ellie Tromans debuts at outside centre, with the Lightning’s matchday squad having an average age of just 22.

The match at Heywood Road is the first of a double-header, with Sale Sharks men’s pre-season friendly against Newcastle Falcons to follow.

Team news

Sale Sharks

15 Nikita Prothero, 14 Sophie Hopkins, 13 Beatrice Rigoni, 12 Laura Perrin, 11 Hollie Bawden, 10. Lizzie Duffy (cc), 9 Olivia Ortiz, 1 Catie Benson, 2 Niamh Swailes, 3 Tysh Harper, 4 Iona Antwis, 5 Molly Morrissey, 6 Trudy Cowan, 7 Alba Capell, 8 Jo Brown

Replacements: 16 Amelia Hyndman, 17 Alice Iwanejko, 18 Evie Roach, 19 Polly Bowman, 20 Jasmine Hazell, 21 Sofia Stefan, 22 Izzy McGuire-Evans, 23 Lauren Delany 

Loughborough Lightning

15 Bulou Mataitoga,14 Evelyn Clarke, 13 Ellie Tromans, 12 Carmela Morrall, 11 Bo Westcombe-Evans, 10 Lia Green, 9 Alicia Maude, 1 Amelia Williams, 2 Lucy Calladine, 3 Isla Curphey 4 Keevy Fitzpatrick, 5 Issy Winter, 6 Becky Boyd, 7 Kendall Waudby, 8 Daisy Hibbert-Jones (c)

Replacements: 16 Katherine Baverstock, 17 Cana Williams, 18 Tiwaah Adjei-Ansere, 19 Hallie Taufoou, 20 Lucy Finch, 21 Ellie Roberts, 22 Meg Davey, 23 Freya MacColl

Sunday 8 September

Gloucester-Hartpury v Exeter Chiefs

2pm, Hartpury University Stadium

Gloucester-Hartpury celebrated their second consecutive PWR title last season and they begin the journey towards what they hope will be a three-peat against the team their defeated in the semi-finals, Exeter Chiefs.

The champions have named a youthful squad with 20 of their players currently away on international duty and it includes a new signing at full-back in Charlie Woodman, daughter of 2003 World Cup winner Trevor Woodman.

There is another new face at fly-half in Ellie Green, who arrived in the summer from Trailfinders and will be partnered at half-back with the experienced Bianca Blackburn.

Beth Stafford makes her first appearance after signing from Bristol Bears in the second row, while Tabitha Copson starts at No.8 after missing much of last season with injury.

Exeter have named a host of new arrivals in their squad, with eight of them set to make their bows, including Georgina Tasker on the left wing after she signed from Loughborough in the summer.

Eighteen-year-old Kayleigh Priest starts at hooker, Emily Robinson at No. 8 after joining from Harlequins alongside sister Flo Robinson, who begins her second spell at the club at scrum-half.

Millie Whitehouse, Flo Long, Zara Feaunati, Lucy Ney and Molly Saunders are all set to make their Chiefs debuts off the bench.

Team news

Gloucester-Hartpury: 15 Charlotte Woodman,14 Daisy Aspinall, 13 Millie Hyett, 12 Charlie-Mai Manns, 11 Zoe Healey, 10 Ellie Green, 9 Bianca Blackburn, 1 El Perry, 2 Amy Dale, 3 Ranni Samuda, 4 Steph Else (c), 5 Beth Stafford, 6 Zoe Dare, 7 Georgia Brock, 8 Tabitha Copson

Replacements: 16 Lucy Simpson, 17 Alisha Smith, 18 Niamh Williams, 19 Sophie Davies, 20 Jessica Bryan, 21 Gemma Bell, 22 Molly Bunker, 23 Abi Pritchard

Exeter Chiefs: 15 Merryn Doidge, 14 Eilidh Sinclair, 13 Naomi Brennan, 12 Gabby Cantorna, 11 Georgina Tasker, 10 Liv McGoverne, 9 Flo Robinson, 1 Demi Swann, 2 Kayleigh Priest, 3 Hannah Sams, 4 Poppy Leitch (c), 5 Niamh Orchard, 6 Ebony Jefferies, 7 Maisy Allen, 8 Emily Robinson

Replacements: 16 Millie Whitehouse, 17 Abby Middlebrooke, 18 Flo Long, 19 Zara Feaunati, 20 Taz Bricknell, 21 Lucy Nye, 22 Katie Buchanan, 23 Molly Saunders

Trailfinders v Harlequins

3pm, Trailfinders Sports Club

Trailfinders adapted well in what was their first season in PWR, eventually finishing sixth after winning five of their fixtures, one place above Sunday’s opponents, Harlequins, who had a disappointing campaign.

Trailfinders have new signing, and Canada international, Emma Taylor captaining the side from the second row and there is another new face at scrum-half in Brooke Bradley, who joined from Exeter in the summer.

Former Loughborough flanker Sally Williams also makes her first appearance in Green and White, as does Kendra Cousineau, another Canadian, at inside centre and Grace White on the right wing after her arrival from Bristol.

Other new Trailfinders names on the bench include Kat Evans, Sarah Denholm and Rosie Tidball.

There are 10 debutants in Harlequins’ squad, including two in the front row in Swedish hooker Maja Mueller and Spain captain Laura Delgado at tighthead.

Lauren Brooks is in the second row after returning to Quins from Trailfinders in the summer, England international Harriett Millar-Mills is at No.8 after signing from Exeter while Izzy Hannay, who signed from DMP Sharks last year, makes her bow at openside.

Another Spaniard makes her debut at inside centre in Claudia Pena and Nicola Haynes, Ruby Winstanley, Maddy Page, Sarah Parry and Orla Proctor are uncapped players named on the bench.

Team news

Trailfinders: 15 Vicky Laflin, 14 Grace White, 13 Jess Cooksey, 12 Kendra Cousineau, 11 Liz Musgrove, 10 Ella Amory, 9 Brook Bradley, 1 Liz Crake, 2Cristina Blanco, 3 Sara Seye, 4 Emma Taylor, 5 Shya Pinnock 6 Rowena Burnfield 7 Sally Williams, 8 Abi Burton

Replacements: 16 Kat Evans, 17 Kie Tamai, 18 Kira Leat, 19 Megan Barwick, 20 Annabel Meta, 21 Sophie Molton, 22 Sarah Denholm, 23 Rosie Tidball

Harlequins: 15 Amy Layzell, 14 Izzy Mayhew, 13 Clàudia Peña, 12. Lagi Tuima (c), 11 Katie Shillaker, 10 Ella Cromack, 9 Freya Aucken, 1 Jessie Spurrier, 2 Maja Meuller, 3 Laura Delgado, 4 Tyla Shirley, 5 Lauren Brooks, 6 Nicole Wythe, 7 Izzy Hannay, 8. Harriet Millar-Mills

Replacements: 16 Nicola Haynes, 17 Sheree Cooper, 18 Ruby Winstanley, 19 Chloe Benjamin, 20 Maddy Page, 21 Tess Braunerova, 22 Orla Proctor, 23 Sarah Parry