Women’s Dev XV Ride Rough Shod over the Valkyries

Navy Rugby dominated an intense match, taking an early lead with Rebecca Addis's try and Hannah Parkinson's conversion. Despite Maria Law's game ending injury, the Navy, led by Ellie Brightwell, maintained pressure on Portsmouth. Exceptional performances from Mullett and Hill in the backs and attempts by Emily Hare and Emily Joss to rally the Valkyries, couldn't change the halftime score of 24 - 0 to their favour.

In a commanding performance, Navy Rugby secured a impressive victory over the Valkyries, finishing with a score of 41 - 0. The match kicked off with Rebecca Addis crossing the line for the first try just seven minutes in, following multiple advantages allowed by the referee after knock-ons in midfield. Hannah Parkinson added the conversion.

Early in the game, Maria Law suffered an injury and was taken to the hospital, but the Navy's momentum remained unbroken. Tee Tuvou's abrasive running style kept Portsmouth under constant pressure, and their failure to clear their lines from a penalty allowed the Navy to dominate the breakdown. This led to another try for Parkinson.

The Navy's backs, including the impressive sprinters Mullett and Hill, exceeded expectations with their dangerous play in open space. Despite the Valkyries' spirited attacks, orchestrated by their key players Emily Hare and Emily Joss, they couldn't breach the Navy's defence. Talia Haywood's deep kick return into Portsmouth's 22 set up another try, with skipper Brightwell offloading to vice-captain Moore, allowing Parkinson to score again.

Portsmouth had a near miss at the end of the half, chasing down a kick ahead, but the Navy quickly turned the tables. Sam Hill exploited a gap in the struggling dog-leg defence to score, ending the first half at 24 - 0.

The second half saw second row Beth Lewington parading her athleticism with two impressive ball carries totalling over 50 metres. Kaitlin Bark made an immediate impact off the bench in the scrum and in open play, coming close to scoring twice in a dominant five-minute spell for the Navy. In quick succession, the Navy added two more tries: one from Jess Bryan out wide and another from Laika Swain, who ran 60 meters, fending off three defenders.

The crowd, including the P2000 Commanding Officers, erupted in support, particularly for scrum half Sophie Tulloch (CO HMS Biter). Freya Moore added her name to the score sheet, with replacement back rower, Jess Bryan, converting. Despite a late surge from the Valkyries, who were held up over the line in the final play, the Navy's defence held firm, sealing a comprehensive 41 - 0 win.

“We've had the week to train all together [though] not everyone's been available [throughout], so we've brought it together last minute, but the things that we've worked on throughout the whole Dev season have come together in this last game which you can really see how [far we’ve come] from day one on September to now,” said Ellie Brightwell.

Women’s Dev XV: R Addis, F Moore (VC), A Baker; B Lewington, T Haywood; M Law, E Brightwell (C), J Shaw; S Tulloch, H Parkinson, G Davidson, M Douglass, S Hill, F Mullett, J Banks.

Replacements: J Bryan, K Bark, L Swain, H Underwood, T Tuvou, L Astley, E Thorpe, R Dixon.

Words by J Campbell-Baldwin

Images by K Woodland