2021–22 Premier 15s

| top point scorer = Emma Sing (Gloucester-Hartpury)–150 points | top try scorer = Marlie Packer (Saracens)–17 tries | website = www.premier15s.com | prevseason = 2020–21 | nextseason = 2022–23

The 2021–22 Premier 15s is the 5th season of the Premier 15s (23rd including editions of the previous Women's Premiership), of the top flight of English domestic women's rugby union competition and the second to be sponsored by Allianz. Incorporated in the season also was the inaugural Allianz Cup, a women's equivalent of the Premiership Rugby Cup.

Saracens Women, who finished top of the league table during the regular season, won their third Premiers 15s title on 3 June 2022, after defeating Exeter Chiefs Women by 43–21 in the play-off final.

Teams The 10 teams competing in the 2021–22 Premier 15s season are:

Club Director of Rugby/Head coach Captain Kit supplier Stadium Capacity City/Area Bristol Bears Women Dave Ward Amber Reed Umbro Shaftesbury Park 200 BristolDMP Durham Sharks Jake Rodgers Georgina RobertsMacron The Darlington Arena 25,500 Darlington, County Durham The Racecourse 8,500 Durham, County Durham Exeter Chiefs Women Susie Appleby Kate Zackary Samurai Sandy Park 13,593 Exeter, Devon Gloucester-Hartpury Sean Lynn Natasha Hunt Elite Pro Sports Hartpury University Stadium 600 Gloucester, GloucestershireHarlequins Women Gerard Mullen Rachael BurfordAdidas Twickenham Stoop 14,800 Twickenham, Greater London Surrey Sports Park — Guildford, Surrey Loughborough Lightning Rhys Edwards Lark Davies Kukri Loughborough University Stadium 3,330 Loughborough, Leicestershire Sale Sharks Women Darren Lamon Beth Stafford Macron Heywood Road 3,387 Sale, Greater Manchester Saracens Women Alex Austerberry Lotte Clapp Castore StoneX Stadium 10,500 Hendon, Greater London Wasps Women Giselle Mather Kate Alder Claudia MacDonald Hummel Twyford Avenue Sports Ground — Acton, London Worcester Warriors Women Joanne Yapp Lyndsay O'Donnell VX3 Sixways Stadium 11,499 Worcester, Worcestershire

Table

Regular season The fixtures for the 2021–22 season were announced by the Rugby Football Union on 6 August 2021.

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Round 13

Round 14

Round 15

Round 16

Round 17

Round 18

Play-offs

Semi-finals

Team details FB 15 Sarah McKennaRW 14 Alysha Corrigan OC 13 Cara WardleIC 12 Alev Kelter LW 11 Lotte Clapp (cc) FH 10 Holly AitchisonSH 9 Ella Wyrwas N8 8 Marlie Packer (cc) OF 7 Vicky FleetwoodBF 6 Mackenzie CarsonRL 5 Poppy CleallLL 4 Fiona McIntosh TP 3 Kelsey Clifford HK 2 May Campbell LP 1 Hannah Botterman Substitutions:HK 16 Kat Evans PR 17 Donna Rose PR 18 Alex Ellis LK 19 Sonia Green FL 20 Jodie Rettie SH 21 Anna Goddard CE 22 Lucy Biggs WG 23 Tilly Vaughan-Fowler Coach: Alex Austerberry FB 15 Ellie Kildunne RW 14 Heather Cowell OC 13 Lagi TuimaIC 12 Rachael Burford (c)LW 11 Jess BreachFH 10 Emily ScottSH 9 Lucy Packer N8 8 Sarah BeckettOF 7 Amelia Harper BF 6 Katy Mew RL 5 Sarah BonarLL 4 Rosie Galligan TP 3 Shaunagh Brown HK 2 Amy CokayneLP 1 Vickii Cornborough Substitutions:HK 16 Elle Bloor PR 17 Tove Viksten PR 18 Chloe Edwards LK 19 Fiona Fletcher FL 20 Lauren Brooks SH 21 Freya Aucken CE 22 Ellie Green WG 23 Izzy Mayhew Coach: Gerard Mullen Player of the Match: Poppy Cleall (Saracens Women)

Team details FB 15 Merryn DoidgeRW 14 Eilidh SinclairOC 13 Kanako KobayashiIC 12 Gabby CantornaLW 11 Jennine DetiveauxFH 10 Patricia García SH 9 Flo RobinsonN8 8 Kate Zackary (cc)OF 7 Rachel JohnsonBF 6 Poppy Leitch (cc)RL 5 Linde van der Velden LL 4 Nichola Fryday TP 3 DaLeaka MeninHK 2 Emily TuttosiLP 1 Hope Rogers Substitutions:HK 16 Clara NielsonLK 17 McKinley Hunt PR 18 Michaella RobertsLK 19 Ebony Jefferies PR 20 Gabrielle Senft SH 21 Brooke BradleyFH 22 Megan Foster WG 23 Nancy McGillivrayCoach: Susie Appleby FB 15 Kayleigh PowellRW 14 Jenny HeskethOC 13 Phoebe MurrayIC 12 Amber Reed (cc)LW 11 Courtney KeightFH 10 Lucie Skuse SH 9 Keira Bevan N8 8 Siwan Lillicrap OF 7 Manon JohnesBF 6 Alisha ButchersRL 5 Abbie Ward (cc)LL 4 Delaney Burns TP 3 Sarah BernHK 2 Hannah WestLP 1 Simi Pam Substitutions:HK 16 Holly PhillipsPR 17 China-Marie Kill PR 18 Ellie Mulhearn LK 19 Natalia John FL 20 Gabriella NigrelliSH 21 Lucy Burgess FH 22 Elinor Snowsill WG 23 Ella LovibondCoach: Dave Ward Player of the Match: Hope Rogers (Exeter Chiefs Women)

Final

FB 15 Sarah McKennaRW 14 Alysha Corrigan OC 13 Cara Wardle IC 12 Alev KelterLW 11 Lotte Clapp (cc)FH 10 Holly AitchisonSH 9 Ella Wyrwas N8 8 Marlie Packer (cc)OF 7 Vicky FleetwoodBF 6 Mackenzie Carson RL 5 Poppy Cleall LL 4 Fiona McIntoshTP 3 Kelsey Clifford HK 2 May Campbell LP 1 Hannah Botterman Substitutions:HK 16 Kat Evans PR 17 Donna Rose PR 18 Alex Ellis LK 19 Sonia Green FL 20 Georgia Evans SH 21 Anna Goddard CE 22 Hannah Casey WG 23 Tilly Vaughan-Fowler Coach: Alex Austerberry FB 15 Merryn DoidgeRW 14 Eilidh SinclairOC 13 Kanako KobayashiIC 12 Gabby Cantorna LW 11 Jennine DetiveauxFH 10 Patricia García SH 9 Flo Robinson N8 8 Kate Zackary (cc)OF 7 Rachel Johnson BF 6 Poppy Leitch (cc)RL 5 Linde van der Velden LL 4 Nichola Fryday TP 3 DaLeaka Menin HK 2 Emily Tuttosi LP 1 Hope RogersSubstitutions:HK 16 Clara Nielson LK 17 McKinley Hunt PR 18 Michaella Roberts PR 19 Gabrielle Senft LK 20 Ebony Jefferies SH 21 Brooke Bradley FH 22 Megan Foster WG 23 Nancy McGillivray Coach: Susie Appleby Player of the Match: Marlie Packer (Saracens Women)

Leading scorers

Most points

Rank Player ClubPoints1 Zoe HarrisonSaracens852 Emma SingGloucester-Hartpury703 Lagi TuimaHarlequins534 Ellie KildunneHarlequins45 Lark DaviesLoughborough Lightning6 Helena RowlandLoughborough Lightning437 Hannah WestBristol Bears40 Courtney KeightBristol Bears Ellie BoatmanWasps Flo WilliamsWasps

Most tries

Rank Player ClubTries1 Ellie KildunneHarlequins9 Lark DaviesLoughborough Lightning3 Hannah WestBristol Bears8 Courtney KeightBristol Bears Ellie BoatmanWasps6 Phoebe MurrayBristol Bears7 Ellie UnderwoodGloucester-Hartpury8 Kelly SmithGloucester-Hartpury6 Connie PowellGloucester-Hartpury10 Abigail DowWasps5 Zoe HarrisonSaracens

Team of the Season The 2021–22 Allianz Premier 15s Team of the Season, which was revealed on 29 June, features players from seven different clubs and three different nationalities. The team was selected by a panel of five media experts–Jessica Hayden, Nick Heath, Kat Merchant, Sara Orchard and Fiona Thomas.

+ Forwards Number Position Player Club 1 Prop Hope Rogers Exeter Chiefs 2 Hooker Lark Davies Loughborough Lightning 3 Prop Sarah Bern Bristol Bears 4 Lock Rosie Galligan Harlequins 5 Lock Abbie Ward Bristol Bears 6 Flanker Alisha Butchers Bristol Bears 7 Flanker Marlie Packer Saracens 8 Number 8 Kate Zackary Exeter Chiefs

+ Backs Number Position Player Club 9 Scrum-Half Ella Wyrwas Saracens 10 Fly-Half Helena Rowland Loughborough Lightning 11 Wing Jasmine Joyce Bristol Bears 12 Centre Alev Kelter Saracens 13 Centre Holly Aitchison Saracens 14 Wing Ellie Boatman Wasps 15 Full-Back Emma Sing Gloucester-Hartpury

Allianz Cup

The Allianz Cup saw the Premier 15s clubs ranked by their previous finishing position and drawn in two pools of five, with clubs playing each other once in two home games, two away games, one bye week over five rounds.

The top two teams in each pool will progress to the semi-finals played at the highest ranked clubs’ venues (16 April 2022) as well a third-placed play-off and final (both 22 April 2022). The Allianz Cup final will be played at the home venue of the winning semi-finalist club with the highest points’ difference.

The bottom four ranked teams will enter fifth, seventh and ninth placed play-off finals with the home team once again determined by stage one league tables. The Cup competition also gives greater exposure to every Allianz Premier 15s round.

Cup pool stage

Pool 1

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Pool 2

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

References