ROCKY Clark believes Premiership Women's Rugby fans will be treated to an instant classic as her beloved Saracens prepare to welcome reigning champions Gloucester-Hartpury to StoneX Stadium this weekend, writes Mohamed Hamza in Ealing.
Saracens face a Gloucester-Hartpury side chasing history as they bid to see off the departing Sean Lynn with a historic third championship in as many years.
And while Clark, who spent four years with Alex Austerberry's side as a player and a coach between 2019 and 2023, insists she won't be drawn into making predictions, she has full faith her former colleagues will rise to the occasion.
“It could well be a three-peat for Gloucester-Hartpury,” she said. “It'll be tough for Saracens but they're a fantastic team and having played and coached for them, I know what their DNA is.
“They're going to throw everything at it. The Poppy Clealls and Marlie Packers aren't going to let Gloucester-Hartpury run away with the match and I think Sarries will come out of the blocks but I wouldn't want to call it.
“Zoe Aldcroft is a phenomenal player and a real asset. I was lucky enough to play alongside her for her first cap. Saracens need to play in the right areas and let their forward pack get them under the right foot and that's something Zoe has always done with this team.”
2025 is shaping up to be a banner year for women's rugby, with the PWR establishing itself as the best domestic competition in the women's game as it builds towards the Rugby World Cup in 2025.
With hosts England marked as one of the favourites, Clark believes the prospect of victory at home will have a transformative effect on women's rugby, elevating the game to heights comparable to the Lionesses' glorious success at Euro 2022.
She added: “Women's rugby is going to change forever after this World Cup. The standard, the sponsorship, the fans. I was lucky enough to go to the Lionesses games and I wasn't a football fan but I certainly am now.
“I want to see that same momentum with women's rugby and get bums on seats. That wave is going to change the game.”
Clark was speaking at the last day of the RFU Continental Tyres Schools Cup finals, where four schools from across the country ventured to Trailfinders Sports Club in search of national glory.
The RFU Continental Tyres Schools Cup is foundational to age-grade rugby in England, enabling students from across the country to compete against one another and against the best the game has to offer at school level.
Clark said: “I've been so impressed with the quality of the players over the past few days. There were a few standout players who will be involved internationally and Premiership wise in the future.
“The standard year-on-year is getting better and better. The physicality, the skill, the sportsmanship. It's such a brilliant competition.”
The Continental Tyres Schools Cup is an important part of the age-grade rugby landscape in England, with schools’ rugby often where players fall in love with the game for the first time. For more information visit the Continental Tyres Schools Cup section of the England Rugby Website
