Excitingly, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) has just announced the forthcoming fixtures for the Allianz Premier 15s 22/23 season.
The top tier of the Women’s English rugby union domestic league features ten teams. These include Loughborough Lightning, Worcester Warriors Women and my local girls, Sale Sharks.
Also included in the league are reigning champions, Saracens Women. The Hendon-based team have won the league three times since its conception in 2017. Last year, Saracens beat Exeter Chiefs to lift the cup with a stunning 43-21 win.
How does the Allianz Premier 15s season run?
The Allianz Premier 15s will see all ten teams playing 18 rounds of both home and away fixtures before culminating into semi-final play-offs and the integral title final. The 22/23 season is set to run from September 17 2022 to 24 June 2023.
The Allianz Premier 15s 22/23 is being played in a round-robin tournament. This essentially means each contestant meets every other participant, usually in turn.
Two pools have been drawn featuring five teams each. These have been seeded based on the final league standings from the previous season.
Pool A and Pool B
In Pool A, you will find 21/22 champions, Saracens alongside Bristol Bears, West London’s Wasps, Loughborough Lightning and Sale Sharks.
In Pool B is second place 21/22 team, Exeter Chiefs as well as 20/21 winners Harlequins, Gloucester-Hartpury, University of Worcester Warriors and DMP Sharks.
Whoever finishes first and second in Pool A and Pool B will embark on the semi-final and final matches. This will determine the champion, runners-up and third and fourth positions.
The teams that finish third and fourth in each pool will fight for fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth positions.
Those that finish last/fifth in their pool will battle it out to be crowned ninth and 10th place in the Allianz Premier 15s 22/23 season.
Rugby World Cup 2021
Round one and two of the Allianz Premier 15s will take place on the weekends of September 17 and September 24.
Following a break, rounds three, four and five will all be played during the 2021 Rugby World Cup.
It’s worth noting that no, that isn’t a typo – the 2021 Rugby World Cup is actually taking place in 2022.
It was due to run from 18 September to 16 October 2021 in Auckland and Whangarei, New Zealand. However, the tournament was postponed until 2022 due to COVID.
The 2021 Rugby World Cup now takes place between 8 October and 12 November 2022.
Who Am I Supporting in the Allianz Premier 15s?
So, who am I supporting this season? I briefly mentioned them earlier, but I’m backing the Sale Sharks Women’s squad.
This will be Sale Sharks’ third season in the Allianz Premier 15s. They are the youngest team in the league (having been founded in 2020) and, despite coming in ninth place last season, I have high hopes.
Former Sale Sharks captain, Beth Stafford has recently signed for Bristol Bears. No news yet on who is leading the Sale Sharks into the 22/23 season, but I have my eyes peeled.
Here’s to a successful season, Sale Sharks! So, who are you backing? To find full fixtures for the Allianz Premier 15s 22/23 season, see here.
ELLA LOUISE SCOTT 