Premiership Women's Rugby
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2023–24 Premiership Women's Rugby
SportRugby union
Founded2017 (2017)
CEOBelinda Moore
AdministratorRFU
No. of teams9
CountryEngland England
Most recent
champion(s)		Gloucester-Hartpury (1st title)
(2022–23)
Most titlesSaracens (3 titles)
TV partner(s)TNT Sports
Level on pyramidLevel 1
Relegation toNo relegation
Domestic cup(s)Allianz Cup
Official websitewww.thepwr.com

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).

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 the Exeter Chiefs.

History

2016–2023: Premier 15's

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.[10] The Thurrock T-Birds, who won the 2016–17 Championship 1 South season, also unsuccessfully attempted to appeal their exclusion.[11][12]

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][13][14]

Financial services company Allianz began their naming rights sponsorship ahead of the 2020–21 season.[15] 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.[16] Worcester Warriors were temporarily suspended during the 2022–23 season due to financial difficulties.[17] These were resolved within a month and Worcester were unsuspended.[18]

2023 onwards: Premiership Women's Rugby

Ealing Trailfinders and Leicester Tigers were admitted into the league in the 2023–24 season, as the competition rebranded to "Premiership Women's Rugby".[19][20] 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.[21][22]

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.[23][24] 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.[23][24]

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.

Locations of teams in Premiership Women's Rugby and the Allianz Cup
Current teams
Team Established Location Stadium Capacity Titles (last)
Bristol Bears 1984 Bristol Shaftesbury Park 200 – (N/A)
Ashton Gate 27,000
Ealing Trailfinders 2023 Ealing (London) Trailfinders Sports Ground 5,000 – (N/A)
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[lower-alpha 3] Twickenham (London) Twickenham Stoop 14,800 1 (2021)
Leicester Tigers 2021 Leicester Welford Road 25,849 – (N/A)
Loughborough Lightning 1970s[lower-alpha 3] Northampton Franklin's Gardens[25] 14,249 – (N/A)
Sale Sharks 2020 Sale (Manchester) Heywood Road 3,387 – (N/A)
Saracens 1989 Hendon (London) Barnet Copthall Stadium 10,500 3 (2022)

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 Ealing 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, the 2023–24 clubs are listed in bold; ever-present clubs are listed in bold italics. The years listed are the calendar years in which the seasons ended. All current teams will remain in the league until at least 2024.

SeasonsTeamDates
5Bristol2018–2024
5DMP Sharks2018–2023
Ealing2024
3Exeter2021–2024
5Gloucester-Hartpury2018–2024
5Harlequins2018–2024
Leicester2024
5Loughborough2018–2024
2Richmond2018–2019
3Sale2021–2024
5Saracens2018–2024
5Wasps2018–2023
2Waterloo2018–2019
5Worcester2018–2023

Sponsorship

Period Sponsor Name League Title
2017–2020United Kingdom TyrrellsTyrrells Premier 15sPremier 15s
2020–2023Germany AllianzAllianz Premier 15s
2023–currentAllianz Premiership Women's RugbyPremiership 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 1st place, gold medalist(s) Champions Final Runner-up 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2017–18 Saracens 24–20 Harlequins
2018–19 Saracens 33–17 Harlequins
2019–20 Abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 Harlequins 25–17 Saracens
2021–22 Saracens 43–21 Exeter Chiefs
2022–23 Gloucester-Hartpury 34–19 Exeter Chiefs

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 — 1

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]

Territory Rights holder Ref.
 United Kingdom
 Ireland		 TNT Sports
Discovery+[lower-alpha 4]		 [28]
 United States
 Canada		 The Rugby Network+[lower-alpha 4] [31]
Rest of World Rugbypass TV[lower-alpha 4] [32]

Notes

  1. Worcester withdrew from the league on 17 October 2023[23][24]
  2. ↑ Worcester withdrew from the league on 17 October 2023[23][24]
  3. 1 2 Re-formed in 2017
  4. 1 2 3 One match per round as well as both semi-finals and the final

References

  1. 1 2 "Premier 15s: New league a real opportunity for women's rugby" Archived 24 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine, ESPN, Victoria Monk, 15 September 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Women's Super Rugby to launch in England". Scrumqueens. February 2017. Archived from the original on 28 March 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 "England reveal top new women's competition". Scrumqueens. October 2016. Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
  4. ↑ "RFU announce teams for Women's Super Rugby". RFU. 28 February 2017. Archived from the original on 28 March 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
  5. ↑ Lane, Ellis (28 February 2017). "Gloucester-Hartpury set for new look Women's Premiership". Gloucestershire Live. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  6. ↑ "Women's Super Rugby: RFU offers 10 clubs places in 2017 competition". BBC Sport. 28 February 2017. Archived from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  7. ↑ Beardmore, Michael (2 March 2017). "RUGBY UNION: Lichfield Ladies chief 'disgusted and dumbfounded' by Super League exclusion". Lichfield Mercury. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  8. ↑ Mercury, Lichfield (3 March 2017). "Leicester Tigers give their backing to Lichfield Ladies' bid to overturn Super League exclusion". Lichfield Mercury. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  9. ↑ Mercury, Lichfield (20 March 2017). "RUGBY UNION: MP vows to raise Lichfield Ladies' 'extraordinary' Super League omission in Parliament". Lichfield Mercury. Archived from the original on 21 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  10. ↑ Mercury, Lichfield (20 March 2017). "RUGBY UNION: MP vows to raise Lichfield Ladies' 'extraordinary' Super League omission in Parliament". Lichfield Mercury. Archived from the original on 21 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  11. ↑ "Thurrock women's rugby side set to fight for new big money Super League inclusion". The Enquirer. 16 March 2017. Archived from the original on 31 March 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  12. ↑ http://www.englandrugby.com/mm/Document/Governance/Disclipine/01/32/44/70/ThurrockRFCLichfieldRFCjudgmentApril2017_English.pdf
  13. ↑ "Tyrrells named as title partner for women's domestic competition" (Press release). Rugby Football Union. 2 August 2017. Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  14. ↑ Daniels, Tom (16 May 2020). "Tyrrells ends Women's Premier 15's title sponsorship". Insider Sport. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  15. ↑ "RFU And Allianz Announce Landmark Partnership For The Premier 15s". Sale Sharks. 6 October 2020. Archived from the original on 20 July 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  16. ↑ "Sale and Exeter join women's top flight". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  17. ↑ "Worcester suspended from competition after owners miss RFU deadline | Rugby union | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Archived from the original on 26 September 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  18. ↑ "Worcester Warriors and Wasps given green light to compete despite administration". ITV News. 27 October 2022. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  19. ↑ "Allianz Premier 15s Update". www.premier15s.com. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  20. ↑ "Premiership Women's Rugby Launched To Kick Off A New Era For Women's Rugby In England". www.thepwr.com. Archived from the original on 27 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  21. ↑ "Sharks Women receive conditional offer to join Premier 15s". Sale Sharks. 1 February 2023. Archived from the original on 4 June 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  22. ↑ "Warriors Women secures position in Allianz Premier 15s for 2023/24 season". Warriors Women. 1 February 2023. Archived from the original on 20 July 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  23. 1 2 3 "Worcester Warriors Women: Premiership Women's Rugby side pull out of 2023-24 season". BBC Sport. 17 October 2023. Archived from the original on 17 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  24. 1 2 3 "WARRIORS WOMEN WITHDRAW FROM PREMIERSHIP WOMEN'S RUGBY". Premiership Women's Rugby. 17 October 2023. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  25. ↑ "Lightning to call the Gardens home as Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby fixture schedule announced". Loughborough Lightning. 9 August 2023. Archived from the original on 9 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  26. ↑ "RFU". www.premier15s.com. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  27. ↑ "BT Sport to show Premier 15s semi-finals and final". BT.com. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  28. 1 2 "TNT Sports Adds Rights To Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby To Strengthen Live Rugby Offering". Premiership Women's Rugby. 8 November 2023. Archived from the original on 8 November 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  29. ↑ "TNT Sports adds Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby rights to strengthen live rugby offering". TNT Sports. 8 November 2023. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  30. 1 2 3 Tomas, Fiona (8 November 2023). "TNT secure Premiership Women's Rugby rights in 'game-changing' deal". The Telegraph. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  31. 1 2 "Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby To Air Exclusively On The Rugby Network In Us And Canada". www.thepwr.com. 17 November 2023. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  32. 1 2 "More live rugby coming to RugbyPass TV this weekend!". X (formerly Twitter). 17 November 2023. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
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