9 groups have been whittled down to only 4 within the race to turn out to be Allianz Premiership Ladies’s Rugby (PWR) champions.
Reigning champions Gloucester-Hartpury, Saracens, Bristol Bears and Exeter Chiefs are the golf equipment nonetheless jostling for the English membership sport’s final prize.
Such was the quartet’s dominance this season, we’ve recognized the id of the semi-finalists for some weeks however that has not diminished the joy for the play-offs.
Desk-topping Gloucester-Hartpury and common season runners-up Saracens had been the groups to safe the coveted dwelling semi-finals, with the previous taking over Exeter this Sunday and the latter Bristol.
Historical past suggests the duty going through each the Bears and Chiefs is a troublesome one, as no lower-seeded workforce has ever received a semi-final since England’s prime division was rebranded (initially because the Premier 15s) in 2017.
You received’t wish to miss any of the motion and each matches can be obtainable to stream reside and without cost on RugbyPass TV besides the place there’s a native broadcast deal in place (UK, Eire, Canada and USA).
Kind groups collide in north London
Saracens host the opening match of the 2024 PWR play-offs as Bristol Bears arrive in north London bidding to interrupt by their semi-final glass ceiling.
In response to Canada captain Sophie de Goede, Saracens are peaking on the proper time of their quest for a league and cup double, and it’s arduous to argue with that evaluation.
Since dropping to Sunday’s opponents in Bristol at first of March, Saracens have swept all earlier than them.
Following that defeat, Alex Austerberry’s facet surged to the Allianz Cup title – beating the Bears within the closing – and completed the PWR common season with 4 consecutive victories to safe Sunday’s dwelling semi-final.
Fixture
England Premier 15s
Saracens Ladies
Bristol Bears Ladies
Bristol had been additionally crushed 32-10 at StoneX Stadium in December and nearly all of the followers heading to north London this weekend will anticipate a repeat of that consequence and for the house facet’s successful run to proceed into one other home closing.
Nevertheless, that scoreline didn’t inform the complete story of the common season assembly within the capital. Saracens trailed 10-5 early within the second half earlier than the hosts scored 5 tries within the final 25 minutes to tug away.
Furthermore, Sunday’s guests are energised by the chance to create historical past this weekend and offered a blueprint of find out how to beat Saracens of their 35-10 victory three months in the past.
Two tries within the opening six minutes set the tone for the Bears at Shaftesbury Park again in March and they’re going to hope to make a quick begin at StoneX on Sunday too.
Sunday, 9 June
14:00 BST (GMT+1) – Saracens v Bristol Bears, StoneX Stadium – WATCH LIVE HERE
Chiefs out to spoil champions’ celebration
Gloucester-Hartpury put their hopes of back-to-back top-flight titles on the road towards Exeter Chiefs in Sunday’s second PWR semi-final.
The Circus fell simply wanting an unbeaten common season, dropping a nail-biting contest towards Saracens 33-31 on the penultimate weekend in north London.
Defeat left the champions with 15 victories from their 16 matches however mattered little in materials phrases as their barnstorming type had already secured prime seeding for the play-offs.
“Personally, I feel dropping [against Saracens] was the perfect factor that might have occurred to us,” Gloucester quantity eight Alex Matthews instructed RugbyPass final week.
Fixture
England Premier 15s
Gloucester-Hartpury Ladies RFC
Exeter Chiefs Ladies
“As a result of we’ll go away, we’ll study much more and I feel you simply need it that little bit extra for these play-offs.”
Gloucester’s gamers rested up final weekend as the ultimate day unfolded and the Chiefs secured a nine-try 59-27 win towards Leicester Tigers at Sandy Park.
Susie Appleby’s facet completed fourth within the common season standings, 19 factors adrift of Sunday’s opponents having suffered two slim defeats by the hands of the Circus.
But, Chiefs have loads of motivation heading into Sunday’s second semi-final. Not solely will they need revenge for final 12 months’s PWR closing defeat however there may be additionally the pull of enjoying this season’s showpiece match on dwelling soil.
This isn’t a contest it would be best to miss.
Sunday, 9 June
16:30 BST (GMT+1) – Gloucester-Hartpury v Exeter Chiefs, Kingsholm – WATCH LIVE HERE
Watch Bump within the Highway
No matter occurs at StoneX Stadium this Sunday, Bristol Bears second-row Abbie Ward may be delighted with how her season has unfolded.
England star Ward returned to the pitch final November, solely 17 weeks after the delivery of her daughter Hallie.
Since then, Ward has made 13 PWR appearances because the Bears booked their place within the semi-finals, and on Monday was confirmed as certainly one of 32 Purple Roses gamers to be awarded full-time contracts for the 2024-25 season.
You possibly can observe her journey by being pregnant, the start of life as a mom and her return to the Bears set-up within the ground-breaking documentary Abbie Ward: Bump within the Highway.
Ward’s husband Dave can be her Bears head coach, and options within the documentary with the distinctive perspective of associate, father and coach.
He says through the documentary: “For Hallie to develop up in an setting the place ladies are doing superb issues in sport, it’s nice.”
“I wish to be a world-class participant. I wish to be a world-class mum,” Ward says. “The problem is, are you able to be each?”
Watch Bump within the Highway HERE
