Everything you need to know ahead of Trailfinders Women vs Exeter Chiefs
The PWR returns and the Round One action comes to Trailfinders Sports Club. We face Exeter Chiefs in the first leg of the competition.
Read everything you need to know ahead of the match here.
Eleven internationals start ahead of our Round One fixture against Exeter Chiefs.
Head Coach Barney Maddison has named his squad ahead of the first PWR fixture for the 2025/26 season.
Kate Zackary leads the side after being named as Club Captain earlier on in the week and she is part of a forward pack including eight internationals.
In the front row USA prop Alivia Leathermen starts at loosehead with Italian international Sara Seye at tighthead. Black Fern Georgia Ponsonby starts at hooker.
In the engine room, Irish international Grace Moore is accompanied by Black Fern Alana Borland.
A wealth of leaders make up the back row. Scotland’s most capped captain Rachel Malcolm is at blindside flanker, with skipper Zackary on the openside. Red Rose and World Cup winner Abi Burton starts at eight.
In the backs, Brooke Bradley and Isla Norman-Bell accompany one another at nine and ten.
A Welsh-English centre pairing of Carys Cox and Meg Jones is supported by the pace of Francesca McGhie and Grace White on the wings. Canadian international Julia Schell starts at fullback.
On the bench are Canadian international Maya Montiel and GB7s star Emma Uren in a 5-3 split.
Kick-off is at 15:00 on Saturday 25 October at Trailfinders Sports Club.
Starting XV
15. Julia Schell
14. Grace White
13. Meg Jones
12. Carys Cox
11. Francesca McGhie
10. Isla Norman-Bell
9. Brooke Bradley
1. Alivia Leatherman
2. Georgia Ponsonby
3. Sara Seye
4. Grace Moore
5. Alana Borland
6. Rachel Malcolm
7. Kate Zackary (C)
8. Abi Burton
Replacements:
16. Niamh Swailes
17. Cana Williams
18. Maya Montiel
19. Emma Taylor
20. Haidee Head
21. Ella Amory
22. Niamh Gallagher
23. Emma Uren
Trailfinders Women are delighted to announce that Kate Zackary has been named as Club Captain.
After joining the Club in the inaugural season in 2023, Kate Zackary has consistently proven herself as a fantastic leader both for Trailfinders as an USA international player. This will be her second year leading the side.
She has been the Eagles skipper at the 2021 and 2025 Rugby World Cups and brings that knowledge to her role at Trailfinders.
On and off the field, Zackary is a natural leader and will bring her experience to the squad ahead of the Club’s third year in the PWR.
On being named as Club Captain, Zackary said:
“I’m incredibly honoured to be named Club Captain for a second season. As we head into our third year, I expect our team to build on the foundations we’ve laid and push to new heights in the PWR.
“This season promises to be even more competitive, and I hope we can carry on the momentum from the incredible showcase that was the Rugby World Cup. Most importantly, I hope our journey continues to inspire the next generation—especially those in our Trailfinders Girls Rugby programme.”
Barney Maddison, Head Coach, added:
“Kate has been a massively influential player on the squad since signing with us two years ago. She did a great job as Club Captain last campaign, and we’re excited for her to carry on the role this season.
“She’s a hugely well respected member of the group, and you can see already the impact she’s had on the squad since returning from the World Cup.”
Read the update ahead of Trailfinders Women’s first PWR match against Exeter Chiefs
Ahead of Round One, Head Coach Barney Maddison and Scotland captain Rachel Malcolm spoke in the PWR pre-match press conference.
On whether there have been major changes to tactics ahead of this season, Maddison said:
“No, not necessarily. Obviously, we play a brand of rugby where we like to throw the ball around. That’s not going to change.
“There’s obviously elements of our defence that needed to be tweaked based off the past two seasons. We’ve put a little bit more of a focus on that. Probably more so in preseason. But again, no, nothing’s changes as such.”
On being asked about the new signings for this season and how Trailfinders went about recruitment, Maddison said:
“Again, they [Megan Jones and Francesca McGhie] came down and I think a big persuasion tactic we look to use here as such is we get them down to the ground, we get them to have a look around and the facilities here at the minute are fantastic. And again, it’s kind of where we see women’s rugby’s going in that kind of professional setup. So again, that helps.
“From a coaching point of view, myself, Stephen Shingler, Kim Oliver, all of us spoke with them and yeah, that’s how we moved forward from there.
“The Canadian and New Zealand internationals bring a lot. The way that the Canadians are in the world at the minute, they’re going to to keep kicking on as such. We’ve got a pretty strong Canadian connection here. So they spoke with a few of the girls who have been here previously and the ones that are still here as well.
“The Black Ferns are two fantastic players. And again with where the game is over in New Zealand at the minute, they’re just desperate to play rugby and we kind of gave them that opportunity.”
After moving from Loughborough Lightening to Trailfinders ahead of the 2025/26, Rachel Malcolm was asked what it was that motivated the move to West London. She said:
“For me, at the point in my career, it was a case of trying to find an environment which I felt like I could, one, add value to, but two, align with my values as a player. And also three, the move gave me that energy to keep going at the latter stages of my career.
“What I saw at Trailfinders was a real family environment and a club which valued their players. They’ve got a really good social aspect off the pitch, which is important to me, but also they play a really exciting brand of rugby and a really attacking style of rugby. And that’s an area of my game I want to work on.
“So it was kind of an obvious choice for me to join this club because in terms of where I want to take my rugby, I think they can keep pushing me on. It’s definitely added a little bit of energy. I’ve absolutely loved coming into the group. The values of the players, the coaches and everyone involved definitely align with mine.”
On being asked about the other international players in the squad and if she’s looking forward to playing with the wider squad, Malcolm said:
“I obviously know the Scots who have signed here. We tend to travel in packs as Scots. We like to play with our own. So I obviously know a fair bit about those girls and I think, you know, the likes of Francesca McGhie, Lisa Thompson and Emma Wassell also are probably three of the strongest Scottish players and three of the players I like playing with the most. I’m definitely very excited to play alongside them.
“Julia Schell is obviously someone I know well but haven’t necessarily played alongside. I have played against her and I’m definitely looking forward to having her on my side.
“Barney touched on it, at Trailfinders we play a very attacking brand of rugby. And I think to play alongside the likes of Jules [Julia Schell], Claire Gallagher, Meg Jones, all these players who I think will kind of set our attack on fire and give me the opportunity to drive my attacking game forward as well is something I’m excited about.
“I’ve always been a traditionally defence-focussed player, so I hope I can drive that side of the game while they pull me up on in the attack side of it. But like from 1 to 15, 1 to 23 and beyond that, I think it’s just full of players who I’m definitely excited to play alongside.”
When asked about what Trailfinders might expect from Exeter in Round One of the PWR, Maddison said:
“Well, I’d probably say different to what it has been for the past couple years. Obviously they’ve had a change at helm. We’ve probably seen more so in the Cup as well.
“Their brand of rugby has change slightly. They do throw it around a fair bit. They’ve obviously got Oli Bishop who was our defence coach here last year, running the attack down there and there’s a lot of stuff that looks pretty similar as such. With the kind of the squad they’ve got and the players have gone out and got this year. It’ll be be slightly different to what it was last year but again it always kind of have that traditional strong set piece forward kind of game as well.
“I think the big thing for us is we need to focus on ourselves. We’ve had a fair few new signings. So it’s about trying to make this team, this squad gel together as quickly as we can in a very short period of time.
“It’s been a pretty difficult six to eight weeks probably for a lot of teams in the PWR just trying to get these girls back from the World Cup, drip feed them back into training, getting them up to speed with the other players, patterns, shapes etc so that’s probably going to be the most challenging thing moving forward and for most PWR teams I think.”
Spanish international Cris Blanco discusses surreal Rugby World Cup moments and returning to the Club for her third season.
As one of the inaugural players in the Trailfinders Women squad, Cristina Blanco returns to the Club after representing her country at the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Blanco featured in every pool match in the RWC, made 44 tackles, and score two tries for Spain.
The hooker recalled the surreal feelings of representing Spain at the biggest event in world rugby.
“I think every athlete will say that reaching the top tournament of your sport is already a favourite moment. But if I have to pick one, I’ll say just being on in the pitch in the first game. I knew it was going to be big and it’s been a very hard three last years to just get in there and being able to say to yourself like, oh, I’ve made it.
“Of course, it’s a team sport and I am here for the team and I love that this is a team sport, but also you’re an athlete and you do sometimes have to motivate yourself especially during times of injury.
“So just being able to say, oh, I’m here and I made it.”
Cristina Blanco scoring in Spain vs Japan RWC25
“It’s a weird one because when you are there, you’re trying to make the most of it and you’re trying to enjoy it. You’re trying to like make the best hits, have the best training sessions, be the good teammate. But then it goes by so fast and it’s like, oh, it’s already gone. You have to ask yourself, have I enjoyed it? It is weird, such a surreal feeling and it goes by really quickly.”
Blanco scored two tries in her three World Cup appearances for Spain. One of those tries was scored in the final minutes of the pool stage match against Ireland. She commented on the resilience of her nation and how those attributes are emulated at Trailfinders.
“If you see how Spain plays, the determination is something that is very consistent. We never stop playing.
“In the New Zealand game, we scored in the final five minutes. In the Ireland game, we scored in the final minute. One of our tries was ruled as no try but we went again and we scored. We know it’s an 80 minute game so we’re not going to just play like 75 minutes because that’s not how we play and that’s not who we are. That’s something that we always try to keep in mind.
“I think that resilient attitude is already in the Club but I think we can like still explore it a little bit more. We’ve had matches in the past where that full 80 minute performance can be improved or play didn’t unfold in the way we expected it to. There’s always room for progress and everyone in the Club is aware of that.”
Ahead of the 2025/26 season, Trailfinders have signed a wealth of internationals, including Rugby World Cup Winner Meg Jones, and two bronze medallists from the Black Ferns.
Trailfinders Women now boasts seventeen international players in the squad, adding to the depth of the Club. As one of the seventeen international stars at Trailfinders, Blanco discussed her thoughts on the new signings and the development of the squad since the inaugural season.
“I guess seeing the club develop and grow from zero to what we are now is quite impressive. I knew since the beginning it was like a four or five years project, so to say.
“But I think since the beginning we’ve been able to demonstrate what and who we are. We are still finding our feet of what culture we have, what values and everything.
“But it’s quite nice to be part of starting something new. I experienced at Wasps how the end of what it was to be a club, and I’m experiencing the beginning of another club. So it’s quite nice seeing both sides.”
With the multitude of signings ahead of the 2025/26 season, Blanco praised the breadth of leaders in the squad, whether new signings or old faces at the club.
“I think we have loads of good leaders in here. I don’t see myself as a leader. I just like lead by example. I’m not a person that is going to be talking loads or a person that is going to be out there saying all their opinions and everything, because I do think we have like loads of knowledgeable players right now and really good leaders.”
The final takeaways for Blanco from the RWC that she is bringing into the new club season is the importance of the team bond and the wider friendships within a squad that can determine success on and off the pitch.
“The team bond is sometimes more important than the team performance. We always try and do activities weekly.
“I know it’s not the same because you’re not spending the whole time together, but we still like to spend a decent amount of time together.
“I always find that the closer you are in the team, the better you perform. Not only because you get to know the squad outside rugby but you also get to know how a person reacts in different scenarios. So if you’re frustrated, I will know how to cheer you up. Or if you are mad, I will know how to bring you up.
“Knowing who a person is outside of rugby is equally as important as knowing who they are on the pitch.”
Celebrate an incredible Rugby World Cup with your favourite international stars!
Join us from 6.30pm on Thursday 30th October at Trailfinders Sports Club as we welcome back the internationals who proudly wore their nations shirts at the biggest ever Women’s Rugby World Cup.
18 Trailfinders represented nine different nations across the tournament which saw the Red Roses crowned world champions in front of a record 81,855 crowd at Allianz Twickenham Stadium.
Alongside an evening of World Cup stories and rugby chat, your ticket includes event entry, a lively Q&A session with our World Cup stars, and a one-course buffet service, all for just £35.
By using the promo code sent to their email, Season Pass Holders can get £5 off each ticket!
Don’t miss out on an opportunity to celebrate a landmark moment in the game, with your favourite stars.
We are pleased to announce the extension of our partnership with Sinton Andrews as they become a Strategic Partner of Trailfinders Women.
The Sinton Andrews logo will proudly feature on the rear of the Trailfinders Women’s playing shirts for the 2025-26 season, as well as on the unreserved seating area adjacent to the East Stand.
Adam Sinton, Director, Sinton Andrews said:
“This partnership brings together two pillars of the community – Sinton Andrews helps people find their home, and Ealing Trailfinders makes them feel at home.
“That shared sense of community is why this partnership has always felt like the right fit, and we’re excited for that to continue.”
Tim Smith, Head of Commercial, Ealing Trailfinders said:
“The relationship between the Club and Sinton Andrews has always been about more than visibility; it’s about supporting the people and the places that make this community thrive and we at the Club, along with Adam [Sinton], Rob [Andrews], Conchita [Prophet], and the wider Sinton Andrews team, are certainly committed to doing that.
“I’m really pleased to be continuing our journey together.”
As part of the renewed agreement, home seekers moving into or within the Ealing borough with Sinton Andrews will receive a welcome to the area with an invitation that includes complimentary tickets to an Ealing Trailfinders or Trailfinders Women home game, giving them the option to create an instant connection to both their new community and their local club.
To find out more about Sinton Andrews and their services, visit their website here.
Meg Jones has been nominated for the World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year award.
Fresh from qualifying for this weekend’s World Cup Final with a standout performance against France, Meg Jones was today included in the shortlist alongside Canada and Saracen’s Sophie de Goede, and New Zealand’s Jorja Miller.
Speaking on Meg’s nomination, Trailfinders Women Head Coach, Barney Maddison said:
“Meg is an immense player. She’s a formidable leader on the pitch who lifts everyone around her; she’s been central to so much of what England have achieved at the World Cup so far. To see her nominated is no surprise – it’s simply recognition of the world class player and person she is. She’s someone we cannot wait to see in a Trailfinders shirt this season.”
This year’s winner will be announced at Saturday’s World Cup final, where Meg, Abi Burton, and the rest of their Red Roses teammates will face off against a Canada side that features Trailfinders Julia Schell, Claire Gallagher, and Mikiela Nelson.
Trailfinders Women’s PWR Cup campaign came to an end following a 19-5 defeat to Exeter Chiefs Women on a wet Saturday afternoon at Sandy Park.
Starting brightly, Trailfinders enjoyed early possession of the ball but failed to convert periods of control into points.
It was the hosts that struck first when a driving maul in the 16th minute saw hooker Kayleigh Priest get over the Trailfinders line to score on her Sandy Park debut. The subsequent conversion was confidently dispatched by Liv McGoverne to give Chiefs the 7-0 lead.
A second try followed for Exeter just after the halfway of the first 40, with the Chiefs forwards’ determination proving enough to see Alessia Skeates score. McGoverne’s second conversion gave the home side the 14-0 lead heading into halftime.
HT: Exeter Chiefs 14-0 Trailfinders Women
A short relief from the rain and Trailfinders came out in the second half pushing for openings. However, despite our efforts, a penalty on our 22 resulted in a well-worked try from wide scored by Katie Buchanan. McGoverne couldn’t make it three from three, and the score stood at 19-0.
The 72nd minute brought a notable moment for Trailfinders as Isla Pomroy made her debut. The City of Oxford pathway product and current Brunel University student was one of eight Brunel student to feature in today’s match-day squad.
Trailfinders’ persistence did ultimately pay off late in the game. Pressure on the Chiefs defence resulted in a sharp release from Sophie Molton finding its way to Charlie Holland, whose step between two defenders saw enough a gap to get the ball down over the line from close.
The final whistle saw the score finish 19-5, ending our PWR Cup campaign just shy of the knockouts.
FT: Exeter Chiefs 19-5 Trailfinders Women
Exeter Chiefs –
Tries: Kayleigh Priest (16), Alessia Skeates (22), Katie Buchanan (45)
Conversions: Liv McGoverne (17, 23)
Trailfinders Women –
Tries: Charlie Holland (79)
Trailfinders Women name their lineup to play Exeter Chiefs in the PWR Cup.
Head Coach Barney Maddison makes three changes to the starting XV that played Harlequins a fortnight ago.
Emma Taylor and Brooke Bradley remain as co-captains for Saturday’s Round Three clash.
Charlie Holland and Annabel Meta keep their places in the back row, with Haidee Head coming back into the side.
Ella Amory and Vicky Laflin move from the replacements to start at fly-half and fullback, respectively.
Cana Williams, Niamh Swailes and Cassandra Tuffnail all keep their places in the front row. Cara Brincat partners Taylor in the second row.
Niamh Gallagher shifts into the centres alongside Jess Cooksey. Rosie Inman and Grace White remain unchanged on the wings.
Trailfinders Rugby Academy players Hayley Jones, Isla Pomroy, Scarlet Down, Sophie Molton and Immy Wilcox are amongst the replacements.
Kick-off is at 13:00 on Saturday 20th September at Sandy Park.
Starting XV:
15. Vicky Laflin
14. Grace White
13. Niamh Gallagher
12. Jess Cooksey
11. Rosie Inman
10. Ella Amory
9. Brooke Bradley (cc)
1. Cana Williams
2. Niamh Swailes
3. Cassandra Tuffnail
4. Emma Taylor (cc)
5. Cara Brincat
6. Charlie Holland
7. Annabel Meta
8. Haidee Head
Replacements:
16. Hayley Jones
17. Miça Evans
18. Isla Pomroy
19. Amelia Buckland-Hurry
20. Scarlet Down
21. Sophie Molton
22. Immy Wilcox
23. Ellie Lennon