New faces across the PWR
Some new, and returning, players to get excited about!
With the season a little over a week away it’s time to get excited, and for many fans - me included - few things are as exciting as seeing the stars of the game run out for our clubs. So for this week’s post here are a few of the players I am most excited to see in PWR action this season.
While the header image might have given it away, I don’t think anybody can be surprised that the first name I’m writing about is Aoife Wafer. The Ireland flanker has had a crazy couple of years, announcing her arrival on the international scene in 2024’s Six Nations before winning player of the tournament a year later and being a key cog for her team at the World Cup. Wafer is a high energy player, a potent carrier who is also ferocious in defence and will add a bit of extra grit to the Quins pack while also playing with their trademark flair. All that, and she’s only 22 so is going to keep on improving over the next few seasons!
We’ll head north now, to cast an eye over a new signing at Sale Sharks Women. They’ve been doing a lot of work recruiting and strengthening this year, including bringing in Holly Aitchison and Amy Cokayne, two World Cup winners who will help drive the standard for the team. There’s another signing that intrigues me though, a player who spent some time in Premier 15s before heading to France for a few seasons, while also plying her trade in 7s competition. Rhona Lloyd was one of the first players in the women’s game to make me sit up and pay attention when I started following it. A flying winger with pace to burn, power in her carry and an eye for a step. She’s got bags of talent and, just as important, is a big personality in a game still trying to build it’s fanbase. As I write she’s about to turn 29 and is at the peak of her powers, just the sort of player Sale will need to finish off the chances some of their other new signings help create.
We’re down in the South West now and visiting Exeter Chiefs Women who have made an intriguing signing in 18 year old Maddie Flutey, the daughter of former Wasps player Riki was born during his time at the club so qualifies as English despite growing up in New Zealand. While she’s initially on a short-term deal with Chiefs, if the fly-half shows potential they will surely be keen to bring her back and follow the development path that has lead to another Maddie - Fe’aunati - featuring regularly for the Red Roses.
We’re back in London for our final stop, and heading to Vallis Way to check out a fantastic signing for Trailfinders Women. It’s still a rare treat to see a Black Fern join the PWR, let alone one who has been a key piece for New Zealand’s international team, so when Alana Borland (nee Bremner) signed on for Barney Maddison’s side it certainly caught the eye! With 35 caps to her name, as well as having captained Canterbury, she’ll bring some real leadership to a team that is still relatively new. She’s also ferocious in the tackle and a monster at the lineout, something that head coach Maddison, a former lock himself, will be keen to exploit.
These are just a few of the names I’m excited about for the season ahead. If you want to better understand all the leavers and joiners across the league then look out for my annual RugbyPass article, due out soon.
If there’s a player you think I should be mentioning, why not leave a comment and tell me who I should be getting more hyped about and why!
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