Premier 15s

The 2017/18 season saw a big change in the top tiers of women’s domestic rugby in England. 40 Clubs were invited to claim a place in the newly formed (and RFU backed) Premier15s League, to replace the Women’s Premiership. Ten clubs were successful and controversially, Lichfield Ladies were not one of them – their place being taken by a brand new club the Loughborough Lightning. You can read more on that here. Aylesford Bulls ‘became’ Harlequins Women and new team Gloucester-Hartpury joined too.

For it’s first 3 years the league was known as the Tyrrells Premier 15s (for sponsorship reasons) and this has now changed to the Allianz Premier 15s since the start of the 2020/21 season. Saracens Women won the inaugural Grand Final and defended it in 2018/19, by beating Harlequins Women once again.

The new 3 year sponsorship block also saw, in April 2020 a change of participating clubs following an audit and tender process. New teams from Exeter Chiefs and Sale Sharks were in, and long time Premiership members Richmond and Waterloo were out.

The 2019/20 Season was halted after Round 12 due to the pandemic, but at time of writing we are on course to complete the 2020/21 Season albeit with adapted laws being introduced to minimise transition risk and mitigate testing.