With the URC on a short break this weekend, women’s rugby took centre stage in Wales, with two Celtic Challenge matches and a full round of Premiership Women’s Rugby with plenty of Welsh interest.

Hold on tight for a whistle-stop tour of all the women’s rugby action!

Clovers commanding in Lightning defeat

Having won both Welsh derbies to kick-off the new Celtic Challenge season, Gwalia Lightning travelled up to Belfast full of confidence.

However, the women’s side’s momentum would be halted. 17-0 down at the break, the game looked like it may get anyway from Lightning, but the visitor’s rallied, scoring through Wales international Molly Reardon.

That would be the only score of the match for Gwalia, though, as Clovers ran in two more tries to end the match 29-7 to the Irish hosts.

Despite the set back in Ireland, those two wins over Brython Thunder in the Welsh derbies mean Gwalia sit in fourth place, just a point behind leaders Edinburgh.

With Gwalia hosting winless Glasgow Warriors at Ystrad Mynach next Sunday, that match represents the perfect chance to return to winning ways.

Thunder Continue Winless Run in Edinburgh

Brython Thunder are still looking for their first win of the Celtic Challenge, having lost 22-17 to high-flyers Edinburgh at the Hive Stadium on Saturday.

First-half tries from Sam Taganekurukuru, Hannah Walker and Cieron Bell gave the hosts a commanding half-time lead, before Hannah Lane hit back for the Welsh side after the break.

Wales international Hannah Bluck scored a brace of second half tries either side of Edinburgh’s fourth, scored again by Bell.

Thunder, despite these three defeats, have looked good for a victory for long spells of each match they have played, picking up two bonus points in defeat.

Premiership Women’s Rugby: Welsh Stars Shine

While the Celtic Challenge has had a positive start to it’s third iteration, the Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) in well over the halfway mark and plenty of Wales internationals are impressing in club rugby’s biggest stage.

While Bristol Bears and Gloucester-Hartpury – more on both in a bit – have been the traditional home of Welsh women’s rugby players, Harlequins have emerged this season as the true home for Welsh talent.

Five Welsh internationals were involved in Quins 39-46 humdinger with Ealing Trailfinders, with Abbie Fleming, Alex Callender, Kayleigh Powell, and Lisa Neumann all from the start, and Carys Phillips appearing off the bench to score the winning try.

Kayleigh Powell has impressed the most from the quintet, scoring two tries herself against Ealing, and putting serious pressure on current flyhalf incumbent, Lleucu George. Powell’s ability with ball in hand is are biggest asset and something Wales has sorely missed in her absence due to injury and sevens in recent seasons.

The Welsh injection of talent has shot Harlequins up to the top of the PWR table, just ahead of reigning women’s champions Gloucester.

Bristol Bears and Gloucester-Hartpury met in the showpiece fixture of the PWR weekend, with the match not only a West Country derby and replay of last season’s grand final, but also the debut of superstar Ilona Maher.

While a record crowd turned out to see the Olympic bronze medallist make her Bristol bow, the Welsh stars stole the show in the first half. Ffion Lewis, still on her comeback from more than 18 months out with injury, started ahead of her international teammate Keira Bevan at scrumhalf and looked sharp.

With Bevan, Lewis, Megan Davies, and Sian Jones to choose from, Wales have some very good depth at scrumhalf for 2025.

Alisha Joyce-Butchers sparked the home side into life with an audacious dummy that sold the Gloucester defence for hotdog, before turning on the afterburners to score in the corner. It was a try of some skill and shows Joyce-Butchers at her best – in the wide channels with space to show off her footwork and power.

Gloucester hit back and some in the second half, running in five tries – all converted by the excellent Emma Sing to hand the visitors at resounding 17-40 victory.

Kate Williams and Bethan Lewis were tireless in the back row for Hartpury, while George and Hannah Jones looked good in the middle of the park, at flyhalf and centre respectively.

Elsewhere, Abbey Constable helped Leicester Tiger women’s team to a dominant victory over bottom club Sale Sharks, while second row Georgia Evans was on the losing side in Saracens’ clash with Loughborough Lightning.

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