After 16 rounds, nine months and two superb semi-finals, all eyes are on Twickenham Stoop this weekend as Saracens and Trailfinders Women do battle in the PWR Final.
Just over a year away from the first-ever Howden British & Irish Lions Women’s Series in New Zealand, and with a Head Coach now in place, momentum is building to next September and players across Britain and Ireland will be desperate to make a mark.
For Saracens, Zoe Harrison, Jess Breach, and Marlie Packer are just a few names who will hope to bring the PWR title back to the StoneX after defeat in last year's final.
Equally, Trailfinders have a wealth of talent aiming for the biggest prize in domestic women's rugby, and they are riding high after shocking reigning champions Gloucester Hartpury in the semi-finals.
England captain Meg Jones, Scotland captain Rachel Malcolm, and Abi Burton will all be vital to Trailfinders' efforts in their first-ever final.
“It would mean everything,” said Packer, who is leaving Saracens after nine years. “Winning a fourth Premiership title with Saracens would be incredibly special. It would be the fairy-tale ending, the icing on the cake.
“People talk about a cherry on top, but I'd want a massive firework on top of it!
“This chapter of my career is getting closer to its end, and there'll be time to reflect on that afterwards.
Right now, though, the focus is entirely on making sure we perform in the final.”
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Sarries reached the final in exhilarating fashion, beating Exeter Chiefs 40-38 at the StoneX Stadium, with the two teams exchanging 12 tries between them.
Scoring the last of those tries was Packer’s Red Roses teammate Breach, who Packer is full of praise for.
“When Jess gets the ball in space, there's genuinely no stopping her,” she said. “Thank goodness for Jess. It was her 50th appearance for the club, and what an occasion to mark it.
“Her first try was brilliant. Then, in the final minutes, she fielded the kick and just put the burners on. It was unreal.
“I’m standing in the middle of the pitch, and you can see me waving my finger in the air because I knew she was gone. Every emotion was going through me at once. Relief, excitement, joy – everything. We'd done it.”
Meanwhile, the men’s domestic season is already finished, with several British & Irish Lions coming to the fore.
Rising star Henry Pollock led Northampton Saints to their second Gallagher PREM title in three seasons as they beat Exeter Chiefs 26-17.
The 21-year-old, who picked for the 2025 Tour of Australia, became the youngest player ever to win the Player of the Match award in the Gallagher PREM final, underlining his credentials as one of the game’s most exciting prospects.
He said: “This is my boyhood club. I’m so happy.
“As a little kid, you dream of moments like this. You dream of playing on the biggest stages, and we showed today what we can do when we’re at our best.
"It's surreal, it's something you dream of as a little kid, the team showed up today. It’s the biggest club game you can play in - a Gallagher PREM final with your boyhood club.
“It’s not just my pressure; it’s the whole team’s pressure. I thought we handled that really well. Pressure is a privilege, and if you approach it in the right way, you can use it to your advantage.”
Fellow Lion Fin Smith kicked 11 points in the final and produced a sumptuous grubber for George Hendy's title winning score, while winger Tommy Freeman scored a crucial try in just the second minute of the contest.
Alex Mitchell impressed off the bench, spending 70 minutes on the pitch in place of the injured Archie McParland, despite Mitchell’s recent injury struggles.
Across the Irish Sea, Leinster reminded the rugby world of their domestic dominance by lifting the United Rugby Championship at Croke Park.
Andrew Porter, James Ryan, and James Lowe were all vital cogs in the Leinster team, while Jack Conan scored a try, as they eased the pain of the European Champions Cup defeat to Bordeaux-Begles last month by beating the Bulls 36-7.
