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3 hours ago
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Cowboy hats, international stars and a carnival atmosphere. The Rugby World Cup may be over but the women’s rugby party rages on in England with the Premiership Women’s Rugby season beginning under Friday Night Lights at the Stoop, just across the road from where the sport’s game-changing moment happened just shy of a month ago.
If you listen closely enough, the cheers from England’s World Cup victory over Canada in September still reverberate around Twickenham. For many in the game the voices of the 81,885 fans at the home of English rugby will forever be the soundtrack to women’s rugby’s record-breaking moment. The tournament was a huge success and with England lifting the trophy, the hope is that interest will translate to the domestic season.
The PWR opener was the first opportunity to convert that hope into reality and it more than lived up to expectation. The amplified roar at the Stoop attested to one of Quins’ highest attended games in the past five years, with 30% of the just under 3,000 fans attending their first women’s rugby match. Of course, the numbers weren’t as high as those across the World Cup but the impact was clear. The supporters were rewarded with an absolute thriller as Harlequins executed a 52-42 win over Loughborough Lightning.
Sadia Kabeya, who was player of the final last month and started at openside flanker for Loughborough, said the diversity of support was huge at the World Cup final and that too translated at the Stoop. Among those in the stands were dads and daughters, a burly middle-aged man wearing a Quins “Kildunne” shirt and groups of friends with pints in their hands.
Kildunne fever was clear but the excitement was not just for the England full-back and her on-pitch teammates but for Quins’ new signings too. Ireland’s Aoife Wafer was in attendance but not yet playing as she builds back to full fitness with the Black Ferns duo Layla Sae and Liana Mikaele-Tu’u linking up with the club over the next few weeks. The PWR is known for having plenty of international talent and that has only been growing between seasons as stars such as Canada’s Olivia Apps, who has signed for Saracens, have joined the league.
Pre-match the Rugby World Cup trophy was on display for fans to see and as the teams were announced it was the World Cup winners Kildunne and Lucy Packer who received the biggest cheer from the home crowd. There was also a light show while the recently retired two-time World Cup winner and now Loughborough assistant coach Emily Scarratt ran up and down the touchline, waving to fans as she went.
Fireworks in the Quins quarters, colours and pyrotechnics set the tone for this cracker of a game. Quins, who were in their pink away kit to raise awareness for breast cancer, absorbed a lot of early pressure but their defensive dam eventually broke with a superb run down the left by Kabeya. She fended off two defenders and fed Bo Westcombe-Evans, who returned from injury in the PWR Cup last month, for the game’s opening try.
Kabeya was a lightning spark throughout the fixture and was key as Loughborough added to their tally with a try from Lucy Calladine. The hosts levelled with a silky team move putting Abbie Fleming over, followed by a gorgeous intercept try by Beth Wilcock which had fans on their feet. More tries were exchanged and by half-time Loughborough took a narrow 28-26 lead.
A rendition of “the mighty Quins” was what the hosts needed after the break to push over the line through Nicole Wythe. There were more than rugby moves on display too as Quins’ replacements danced along to Taylor Swift’s Shake it Off before Clàudia Peña shook off defenders to extend the hosts’ lead and two more tries by the home side sealed the win.
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Supporters squirrelled their way to the advertising boards to meet their idols post-match, a sight which is expected to be seen across the league this weekend. The attendances are set to be improved from last season at all four games in the opening round, the only club not in action Bristol Bears as it is their bye-week, with Sale Sharks’ game against Leicester Tigers a sell-out on Saturday and good crowds expected at Trailfinders v Exeter and Gloucester-Hartpury v Saracens.
The World Cup effect is in full flow and all those involved in the game will be hoping it is a trend that continues.
Women’s rugby feels like the party that will never end with the toast of this season being the final on 28 June back at the Stoop. A sell-out for the showpiece is the aim and it is highly likely, with how rapidly this sport is growing, the league may be met with an unfamiliar but welcome problem of fans struggling to get a ticket.
