Saracens already eyeing up 2026 title tilt after final loss

There was a 10-minute spell in the Premiership Women’s Rugby Final where it looked as though Saracens would run away with the title against Gloucester Hartpury.

Those three tries in quick succession made it a 14-point advantage at a StoneX Stadium that was absolutely relishing the way Saracens were taking it to the champions.

Unfortunately for them, Gloucester Hartpury got a foothold in the game to trail by just four points by half time before pulling clear in the second, completing a hat-trick of titles with a 34-19 success.

But for Saracens coach Alex Austerberry, that spell was enough to show just why Saracens were worth their spot in the final.

He said: “There’s one place you don’t want to finish in a final and unfortunately, we did that today. Credit to Gloucester, I thought second half, they took the game away from us we couldn’t quite find a foothold in the game and if you invite that much pressure, you are going to creak and concede points.

“Unfortunately, we did but I thought some of the rugby we played, in the first half in particular, was outstanding. That’s why we deserved to be in the final. We earned the opportunity, for 40 minutes we gave it a really good crack and even for the second half, we were staying in the fight, we just didn’t quite have enough to get over the line.

“I am immensely proud of this group. They give everything they have got every day. For 30 minutes, we took the team that are one of the best in a long time, we scored 19 points and got momentum going. You can’t do that for 80 minutes otherwise the game would be easy. I think we saw the fight, the spirit and even at the end, we were trying to go and win the game.”

"A lot of people wrote us off before this final but we came out and showed them what we're about"

Marlie Packer reacts to Saracens defeat in the PWR Final #PWRFinal | #GLOvSAR pic.twitter.com/ZLJE0e0ZHI

— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) March 16, 2025

This win completed a hat-trick of PWR titles for Gloucester Hartpury, a first in the history of the competition.

Their three titles equals Saracens’ own mark, and Austerberry knows it will take a special team to end their reign of success.

But having bounced back from disappointments in the past, he is confident that Saracens can show that resilience once again as they look to reclaim the crown they last won in 2022.

He added: “I highlighted to the group, we lost the semi-final in the cup one year and came back and won it. Then the year we lost to Quins at Gloucester, we came back and won it the year after. So that is what is exciting.

“It’s going to take a good side to knock them off, but we’ve been there before and I’m sure we’ll be there again and we look forward to going one step further with the challenge they have set down to the rest of the league.

“There are players out there who have worn a Saracens jersey with pride for a long time. There was 15-20 minutes where that stand was bouncing. We scored 19 points in quickfire time. What I take from the season, and what I take from most seasons, is that they are incredible, inspiring women that are doing wonderful things on the sports field and off it.”