RNRU Royal Navy Rugby Union

Women’s Development Squad clip the wings of the Valkyries

The Royal Navy Women’s Development team ran out for their 3rd outing of the year on Wednesday. The opposition was Portsmouth RFC Valkyries and due to their proximity to the Royal Navy Dockyard are well known by the Royal Navy side with many of them being members of the club. 

The Royal Navy were dominant from the outset with their forwards hard work rewarded when Number 8, Jess Bryan, scored between the posts and the try was converted by experienced kicker and Out Half, Sam Alderson. The playmaker then began to thread the ball into space behind the Portsmouth defence and this was also rewarded when she found space for Rose Dixon to collect the loose ball and score the Navy’s second try within 15 minutes. 

Portsmouth defended valiantly in the first half and if it wasn’t for some fantastic tackling the Navy could have been further ahead. But with the pressure that the Royal Navy forwars were exerting it was inevitable that another score would come and this time prop Katie Ives was the lady to make it across the try line.

Just before half time another couple of key moments occurred in the match, firstly with the Navy pack so much stronger at the set piece it was decided that scrums would now be uncontested and then Jen Pollitt scored a fourth try that was converted by Sam Alderson. The half time score was Royal Navy - 28, Portsmouth - 0.

The second half started as the first ended and the forwards were setting a platform for the Royal Navy attack. Prop Gemma Flowers was loitering with intent on the wing and with incredible footwork for a front row player managed to leave the Portsmouth players in her wake before passing to Jess Bryan who scored her second try. The Navy’s last try of the night came from Abi Sondack who was the beneficiary of a mix up in the Portsmouth defence who had failed to stop Sam Alderson’s probing kicks behind their defence.

At 38-0 Portsmouth decided that the Navy should not whitewash them and they continued fighting until the final whistle and created two scores of their own to make the final score 38-12 in favour of the Royal Navy.

The Women’s Development Squad have one more fixture this season when they travel to Devonport Services on the 8th of December. The women will be looking for a final flourish as they look to secure places in the Senior Women’s Squad in the build up to Inter Services 2022 and the chance to make history as part of the first Women’s Royal Navy team to play at Twickenham on the 30th of April.