Exeter Chiefs started the 2024/25 Premiership Women’s Rugby season vigorously and went into round 11 unbeaten.
Since their opening run of eight back-to-back victories (interspersed with a bye week and the postponement of their round nine fixture), they’ve won just one match.
The former league runners-up have been involved in some close encounters – including their last-minute win against Loughborough, a one-point loss against Harlequins, and a home loss to Sale in inclement conditions.
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Their recent loss to Saracens meant that they didn’t qualify for the semi-finals for the first time since the 2020/21 season, their first in the league, when they finished sixth.
Head coach Susie Appleby spoke to RugbyPass prior to their round 17 match about the importance of doing well by the players, even when results aren’t necessarily going their way.
“Quins was 70 minutes and then some fatigue I think and some of our decision-making, which is a shame, because we were the better side on the day but Quins took the spoils. Playing Sale in a monsoon was not helpful, some combinations that maybe weren’t experienced enough, there’s a lot of learning that goes on in any season for individuals, for players, for coaches, for everybody.
“That’s what we need to do, is make sure we keep learning, we keep looking after players the best we can, we keep preparing them for what’s coming ahead. Whether that be an off-season into making them better players because they’re youngsters, making sure their studies are continuing to progress alongside what we’re doing here, or sending them off to Six Nations, Pac 4, to prep for a World Cup.
“There are all sorts of different personalities and experiences in this squad and we just try to do the best that we can for them, and hopefully we do.”
Appleby – who has led Exeter Chiefs’ women’s team since its inception in 2020 – also commented on the evolving competitiveness of the league which she puts down to the improvement in quality across the board.
“Loughborough had a tricky start with abstractions and then injuries, they’re becoming really good now and they’re a really good side full of very strong players. They’ve also got that good pathway setup.
“We always knew Trailfinders were going to be good, but it was just going to take a bit of time – it’ll take them a bit longer but they’ve had some good wins. There are some really strong contenders within this league which is exactly what we want, and it’s going to continue to grow.
“I’m having calls and emails all the time from people asking to come and play in this league from overseas. There are challenges around that obviously from a financial perspective, making sure we’re able to look after them but also from an EQP [England Qualified Player] perspective which the league is driving.
“You’ve got to bring through the English players, which we’re very much trying to do. Maddie Feaunati and her sister Zara are really good examples of those kinds of players that have been over in New Zealand, we’ve found them, and we’ve brought them over.
“Zara is studying, Maddie is already capped for England and is going to be a real high flyer. Those are the kind of players that we want to try and seek out, and bring over, but accompany them with players from all around the world because that is what’s making the spectacle of this league. We want to make sure that continues.”
While the PWR is ever-growing, there are still intricacies involved that make it challenging for teams like Exeter at points.
With the kick-off times for their last two matches of the season being in the evening, coupled with the nature of finances in a league that still has a way to come in terms of professionalism, the former England player also highlighted the additional impact this has on the team.
“We’ve got to play Sarries at 17:30 and come back in the middle of the night, which isn’t great planning or scheduling, but that’s out of my control. And then they’re going to send us to Leicester Tigers on a Friday night which is a horrific place to get to [from Exeter] when players have to work, and play them at 19:45, and again come back in the middle of the night because we haven’t got enough money to stay over.
“Couple that with a six-day turnaround, it’s basically survival of the fittest at this stage but, and this is the biggest but, we want to perform,” Appleby said prior to their match against Saracens.”
On 23 August, Exeter’s Sandy Park will play host to their first of seven Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 fixtures.
In addition to five pool stage fixtures, the Exeter Chiefs ground will also host two quarter-finals.
Appleby’s Exeter side, which she’s built from the ground up, is well-known for being a meld of personalities from around the globe, and will likely be highly represented in the biggest Women’s RWC to date.
“We get decent crowds through here [Sandy Park], the biggest one when Ilona Maher was on the field. There is a massive appetite for rugby in Exeter. It’s going to be buzzing here,” Appleby, who represented England at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups said.
“All different nationalities, we’ve got France coming, Fiji, Brazil, Italy, New Zealand, Japan, Wales; Canada are playing here against Scotland which is going to be a big one, then we’ve got quarter-finals which again is going to be amazing.
“The appetite is huge, I’m hoping it will really drive the women’s and girls’ game forward because there’s loads of stuff going on around Exeter as well. Massively exciting time – our players will massively be a part of it whether they’re on the field or they’re supporting their teammates, or they’re just watching. Hopefully, the game will grow.”
With the 2024/25 season being condensed to allow for players to prepare for RWC 2025, the next task that faces teams and coaches is how best to prepare for the 2025/26 season, which starts with the Cup (PWR Up) competition in September after a lengthy break.
Exeter’s official pre-season will commence on 1st July, but, for players who are not involved in representative duties over the summer – be that for RWC teams, other international teams, u20s, or BUCS – a period between May and June will be used to start to introduce strength and conditioning and skills ahead of the new season.
One key area of Exeter’s growth has been their development of younger players, particularly those on the BUCS programme at Exeter University – which is led by Exeter Chiefs captain Poppy Leitch.
Given the start of the 2024/25 season coincided with WXV, Exeter made use of their university and u20 talent pool, something which they plan to do again with World Cup players away for the start of the 2025/26 Cup competition.
“We did when you go back to the start [of the season], we had Sophie Langford in who’s in the u20s setup, Naomi Brennan in who is not in rep stuff but she’s doing really well in BUCS so we had the opportunity to look at a few of those players,” Appleby said.
“They’ve been focusing a lot on BUCS and they’re nearing the playoffs now so that’s how the two programmes work alongside each other. We’ll be able to look at them again, we’re bringing some really nice players through the uni so it’s going to be exciting when we get to that Cup period being able to have another proper look at them.”
