Gloucester-Hartpury celebrating their PWR Victory | Photo taken from @gloucesterhartpury on Instagram
Premiership Women’s Rugby are inspiring the next generation of women’s sports stars in the south west with three teams already in the league and two in the play offs, this season. The South West is normally forgotten about when it comes to sports, whether that is hosting events or having teams itself and the PWR are trying to change that with elite level competition.
In the last year itself, the region hosted the Subway Women’s League Cup final in 2026, Will host 6 matches at the County Ground (Bristol) in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, and had two venues in the Rugby World Cup 2025 (Exeter and Bristol). In the region, their highest Women’s Football team is Bristol City who play in the WSL2, with Cheltenham Town, Exeter City and Plymouth Argyle all playing in the FAWNL Southern Premier Division.
Becoming a benchmark for the rest of the league, Gloucester Hartpury are the reigning champions in Premiership Women’s Rugby and secured their third consecutive title in 2025. Consistency, squad depth, and a number of England internationals prove that they are one of the popular sides in the PWR and in the South West, playing their games at the Kingsholm Stadium in Gloucester.
Captain, Natasha Hunt is from Gloucester herself, being with the side since January 2019 (where she signed her professional contract) and co-captained the side to PWR victory in 2023. She paves the way for young girls from the South West and helps the visibility in the region, allowing them to be just like her.
Steadily becoming a powerhouse in the league, Exeter Chiefs have reached multiple finals in recent years blending experienced internationals and rising young talent. Widely seen as a threat to the traditional giants, the club based at Sandy Park has a strong advantage with their home fans singing loud and proud every game.
A standout player from the region that plays for Exeter Chiefs is Bath-born, Maddie Feaunati. She could have played for New Zealand or Samoa but decided to play for her home nation England after taking just four years from taking rugby more seriously to her International debut.
Founded in 1984, Bristol Bears are one of the most northern teams in the county and play their games at Shaftsbury Park. They have called it home since 2018, which brings security to their fans, knowing where to go on a matchday. Steadily building on becoming a top force, they have become regular contenders for a play off spot in recent years.
Sarah Bern studied at Hartpury before heading to Gloucester-Hartpury but has been with the Bears since 2018. Despite not being from the South West herself, she continues to pave the way for young girls looking to get into Rugby. Another player from the South West is World Cup winner Marlie Packer, with the Saracens flanker recently moving to Harlequins but called Yeovil her home before moving away.
Bristol Bears appeal players from the West Country’s local talent and nurture players through pathways such as the University of Bristol. They hope to develop a wealth of rugby talent from across the region and have strong partnerships from local colleges such as SGS and Weston to help with this.
The South West might be lacking in a number of things, but teams in the PWR is not one of them, with the competition hoping to allow visibility to the south west.