The 2023/24 Premiership Women’s Rugby season comes to a close on Saturday, as Gloucester-Hartpury take on Bristol Bears Women with the title on the line. Gloucester-Hartpury are the reigning Allianz Premier 15s champions heading into this weekend’s final, and are looking to carry their crown over following the first season of the PWR era.
However, this will be by no means an easy feat, as Dave Ward’s Bristol have clawed their way to their first ever league final. An impressive win over Saracens sent the Bears into this season’s showcase fixture, with the all-West Country finale hosted in Exeter Chiefs’ Sandy Park. Ahead of what will be a barn-storming close to the inaugural PWR campaign, we spoke with Red Roses and Loughborough Lightning legend Emily Scarratt, who will be pitch-side for the match.
Scarratt has taken up a reporting role this season, which has kept the playmaker busy throughout a lengthy injury lay-off. The Red Roses star will be behind the microphone for TNT Sports and is eagerly anticipating this star-studded clash brimming with international talents.
“We’re in a really good place, I think we’ve continued to grow. This is the first season of the PWR, as it now is, but obviously, in years gone by the professional or non professional scenario, the domestic league in England has continued to grow and grow, which is awesome. I think the semi finals showed the quality of some of the teams that we’ve got, some of the players that we’ve got.
“There’s been games throughout the season that have also been awesome in that respect, as well. So, absolutely buzzing about the final, I think it is going to be a really good game. Hoping for good weather, which I know is always a risk in this country! I think hopefully It’ll showcase the very best of what we’ve got.”
Focussing first on the reigning champions, Scarratt is excited to see what the ‘Circus’ are set to bring as they eye a second consecutive league title. The Cherry and Whites have a solid contingent of Welsh internationals in the squad, as a total of eleven players were called up for Ioan Jones’ side during the 2024 Guinness Women’s Six Nations.
Gloucester-Hartpury also boast some key playmakers of the England squad, with 2021 World Player of the Year Zoe Aldcroft packing down the locks, and Natasha ‘Mo’ Hunt commanding the back-line at scrum half. Giving her verdict on Gloucester-Hartpury’s chances to retain their Premiership crown, Scarratt said:
“Really impressed. I was there at the semi-final win a couple of weeks ago. And they’re incredibly impressive. I will watch the game back again, and you just tried to look at potential where they might have weaknesses. It’s really difficult to find that!
“Attack, defence, breakdown ability, obviously, they’ve got amazing players throughout which contribute with their individual skill. But collectively, they really understand what they’re doing, and they’re really on the same page. I think they’re going to be incredibly hard to stop. I don’t think it’s an impossible task for Bristol, I think it’s going to be incredibly difficult.
“But they’ve been very impressive. I think that loss to Saracens a couple a few weeks ago, almost probably give them that extra nudge that that they needed.”
Pivoting her view to the title challengers, Scarratt has been undoubtedly impressed by Bristol Bears Women this season. Head coach Dave Ward has added an extra vigour to the Bears, with solid recruitment and game-management set to cap of the end of his three year plan for a Premiership title.
Bristol added the likes of England internationals Hannah Botterman and Holly Aitchison to their squad this season, which Scarratt believes has elevated their game ahead of their first final. It is no secret that Bristol utilise their forward pack to score their tries, with Red Roses hooker Lark Atkin-Davies optimising this through her semi-final hat-trick of tries, to end the season as the league’s top try scorer once again.
“I mean, she’s the top try-scorer, isn’t she, over the last two seasons.” Scarratt said. I think that obviously showcases her ability, but is also a huge product of their maul dominance as well. When they get that close to the line. Obviously, she (Atkin-Davies) benefits a lot from those maul pushover tries. But, I think when you look at the front row, and again, we haven’t had selections yet but assuming it is basically an international front row going against an international front row.
“Pretty much is a Red Roses front row against a Red Roses one. I think it could be spicy, maybe that is not the right word because they all get along very well. But I think it’s going to be a tough, tough battle out there.”
“He’s (Dave Ward) done a brilliant job. It shows in the results that they’ve been having. I think he’s quite openly said, it is a ‘three year plan’ or something he’s had. One year was about attack, one year was about defence, and the next year was about winning it. So obviously, he’s been very clear on his plan.
“I think he’s recruited really well, at the end of last season, getting Holly Aitchison, Hannah Botterman, and Evie Gallagher. Lana Skeldon, I know she’s not available for selection at the moment, but nonetheless, brilliant players. I think he’s recruited really well, then he’s just driven home the way that they want to play the game.
“You know, it isn’t the traditional way. It isn’t the way a lot of other teams go about it. But nonetheless, I think when everyone’s on the same page, they’ve looked really threatening.”
With internationally capped players listed up and down both the Gloucester-Hartpury and Bristol Bears squads, there are plenty of exciting ‘battles within the war’ of the PWR Final. Scarratt assessed the two hypothetical team-sheets and identified some key positional conflicts, that could well prove to be decisive at Sandy Park this Saturday.
“I think if you look at like the two sets of co-captains, it’s super exciting. You can go straight across the board with Zoe (Aldcroft) and Abby (Ward) in terms of their line-out prowess. It’s huge, huge is the word, huge in terms of getting their forward packs up for what they’re doing and the physicality and all that sort of stuff. Then you look at Mo (Hunt) and Amber (Reed), I think, again, they’re amazing in terms of their own abilities, but then (it’s about) how they keep their teams moving.
“Gloucester and Bristol play completely different game plans. So from that point of view, we can’t really compare them alongside one another. But, obviously Mo and Amber will really control how they go, how they go around it, and where they play their game.”
“And with Holly (Aitchison) as well, she’s been playing in that 12 role. I assume she’ll be playing there again this weekend because she seems to just get on those outside arches and gets going a bit with the ball in hand. So, pretty excited with some of the matchups.”