2025 has been a monumental year for Women’s sports in so many ways, from the Lionesses winning the Euros (again) in July, to the Red Roses lifting the World Cup trophy for the third time this September. Ellie Kildunne coming in second place for the BBC SPOTY also proves the impact women have had on sports over the past 365 days. The exposure, visibility, and success of female athletes have led to people taking women's sports seriously and getting behind them in the same way they have men.

Alongside the huge successes of the national women’s teams, a more local story has unfolded over this past year, one that will be marked down in the Petersfield history books. For the first time in over 20 years, on October 19th, 2025, a women’s senior team proudly wore the Petersfield badge on their chest and ran out onto the first pitch at Penns Place, holding the hands of the girls whom they intend to inspire. This match marked the official public return of Petersfield’s women’s team; however, the story of how this side first came about casts us all the way back to 2024.

Where it all began…

The concept of a Petersfield women’s team was not something that had entirely come out of the blue, but also was not something that had already been in the works. While initial thoughts and ideas had floated around, there didn’t seem to be any urgency to get a women’s team up and running in 2025, and thoughts were that it would happen over a couple of years as the under 16/18 girls became seniors.

However, Esther Figgins had other ideas. The spark that set the PWRFC train into action came from a simple but bold question Esther asked one of the girls’ coaches in October 2024, after she had been told there was no senior women’s team at Petersfield. Without hesitation, she replied…

“Ok then, can I make a Women’s team?”

And from that point onwards, the ball started to roll. In collaboration with PRFC Chairman Stuart Barden and Head of Marketing, James Barden, Esther started to make the idea of a Petersfield women’s side less of a fantasy and more of a reality. At the beginning, it was a lot of shaking hands and making good first impressions around the club, building contacts and convincing people that this was even a good idea.

However, it didn’t take much for James Barden to jump on board and be just as excited as Figgins to make this dream a reality, and soon enough, the pair were unstoppable.

The First Team Changing Room and Pub 7s

In speaking to Esther about the early stages of this team’s formation, she recalled the first meeting she and James had in the club changing room, where they talked team names, player numbers, kit design and more. At the time, their discussions felt over-ambitious and almost delusional, but by simply speaking the team into existence, they had set something great into motion.

The arrival of pub 7s in May 2025 offered an opportunity for Figgins and Barden to attract interest in the potential for a Petersfield Women’s team, and with the help of a few mattresses and tackle pads, they set up a stall for people from all around the local area to see what PRFC was all about. Joining Esther on the day was another current Petersfield player, Maz Gregory, whose daughter plays for the U16 team. She showed interest in the women’s side from day one, as someone already close to the club and rugby as a whole. Maz stated that the reason she was so committed to developing a women’s team was so that her daughter and the other girls would have a senior team to inherit when they turned 18.

The traction this event gained, especially from Portsmouth and Bognor Regis women’s players, ensured that the rest of the summer was a one-way street towards success.

Who Is Going To Run This Thing?

Over the summer, the work didn’t stop, with Esther continuing to spread the word about Petersfield Women’s return at Touch&Go sessions each Wednesday, and James organising the Women’s Rugby launch event taking place on the 26th August.

Through word of mouth and friends of friends, the beginnings of a women’s team had started to form around the edges, with at least 10 women coming along to touch sessions and expressing their interest each week. To name a few current Petersfield players already in the mix, Tegan Kinch, Jodie O’Leary, Hannah Wright, Charlie Wolfe, Charli Humm, and I had been hooked by the community that had started to form.

Around July, Esther and James started to realise the very real possibility that their ideas were no longer fiction, and that Petersfield Women was going to be a wild success. While this was a monumental win for the formation of the team, it also presented challenges around finding people willing to get involved. Namely, the club needed to find a Director of Women’s Rugby, a coach, a women’s team manager, a first aider, a second coach?, a head of social media, welfare, social sec, the list went on…

While this task was not an easy one, James Barden did not back down without a fight. Within weeks, Cam Thomas had been convinced to be the team coach, James took on the social media roles, and Esther gladly scooped up the remainder of the jobs and took them on like a champ. Fast forward to the present day, the team now has a dedicated Manager (the legendary Amie Boyes), a physio, welfare rep and social sec, and I have taken on the role of social media manager alongside James.

So Many Queens At The Queen’s Head

A few weeks before the Women’s rugby launch was set to happen, James Barden called a meeting at the Queen’s Head pub in Sheet, inviting a bunch of prospective players, coaches and staff, as well as the legacy of Petersfield women who had been a part of the team 20 years prior. The energy at this meeting was tangible, with both past and future names in Petersfield Women’s Rugby brushing shoulders. While future ideas and plans for the team were the main talking points on that evening, the stars of the show were undoubtedly the O.G. PWRFC ladies, who reminded us all of why we were there.

Among those sat around the table was Charlie Wolfe, a very well-seasoned player who had taken an interest in Petersfield after their announcement of a new women’s team. During a tear-jerking speech from Wolfe, she said;

“I’ve been playing rugby for decades now, and retirement will be brought up soon. If you can name any women’s team locally, I’ve played for them. Now, with retirement around the corner, I don’t want to play for the best team, I want to be part of something amazing, and that is what Women’s rugby at Petersfield will be”.

The passion and dedication shown by Charlie were inspiring, and this was echoed by everyone in that group, from the experienced vet to the complete rugby newbie.

A photo album brought by the previous player, Gill Forbes, showcased precious memories and highlights from the heyday of Petersfield Women, including newspaper clippings of their match wins and successes, and photos of their Pub 7s adventures. Gill spoke about her time wearing the number 8 jersey for Petersfield and the happy memories she had of her time playing for the team, while surrounded by her prior teammates. This special moment solidified the unmatched energy that the Petersfield Women’s team had already captured, and from that point onwards, everyone in that room knew they were going to be a part of something special.

It Takes Four Months To Make History

From the Launch event in August to the first training sessions in September, from PWRFC’s first match in over 20 years in October, to the team’s first loss in November, we’ve gone on a journey all the way to December 2025. Although PWRFC has been over a year in the making, the last four months have been integral in marking our territory on local Women’s rugby, and it is no exaggeration to say that we have blown every expectation out of the water.

The success that this team has seen in just a quarter of a year has been exhilarating. With two wins out of three matches, 60 points scored overall, 46 new players, and 170 minutes played, this squad has made its mark in the Petersfield Rugby history books.

One person who has experienced the rise of Women’s rugby at Petersfield twice is the Captain of the squad, Leanne Wallis, who first started playing for Petersfield at age 13. I spoke to Leanne to find out more about her journey and her thoughts on the team…

Tell us a little bit about your rugby story and how long you’ve been playing.

Leanne: “I first put on a Petersfield shirt aged 13 and played until I finished university; having played for Petersfield, Hampshire, Southeast England, Reading, and trialing (but failing) for England. When I returned from university, the Petersfield Women’s team had disbanded, so I haven’t played for a team since the relaunch this summer.”

Now that 2025 is coming to an end, how proud are you of what PWRFC have achieved

Leanne: “I am extremely proud of how much we have grown as a team. We met in August as strangers and we finish this year a solid, supportive, welcoming team. We have seen wins and losses along with a number of injuries and we continue to learn, support and celebrate each other both on and off the pitch. I am proud that we continue to carve a path for future generations here at Petersfield.”

Only one word!

The last question I asked Leanne was “How would you sum up PWRFC in one word?”. She replied immediately with “Strength”, which I can say with certainty embodies this team.

I then asked the same question to everyone now involved in PWRFC, including players and staff, to see their takes on what this team means. This is what they came up with…

Epilogue

Now that 2025 is almost over, we look towards 2026 and everything possible for Petersfield Women. For a team that has blossomed so brightly and so quickly already, the sky is truly the limit.

I spoke to Coach Cam Thomas to ask him what some of his aspirations were for the team going into the New Year, and he said;

“For the ladies to keep building on the foundations they have worked so hard to achieve thus far, keep working hard and believing in themselves, and this special team will inevitably move forwards“.

And on that note, see you in 2026!