Premier 15s: Exeter aiming to make history in final, says boss Susie Appleby

"History-making is kind of what we've been about from the off," Exeter head coach Susie Appleby tells BBC Sport.

Next week Appleby will be hoping a side set up from scratch less than four years ago can become the champions of England.

Exeter's women's side are in just their third season, but have booked a place in the Premier 15s final for the second successive campaign.

In a city where the men's side defied the initial odds after coming into the top flight to twice win English titles and become European champions in 2020, Exeter's women are following suit.

"Anything that we do around here is kind of a first, and the girls really embrace that and the staff embrace it," Appleby says.

• Appleby aims to avoid a repeat of 2022 final

"On Sunday over 4,000 people came to watch our game and the best thing being around here is everyone loves Chiefs.

"People stop me in the street, even if I haven't got my Chiefs kit on, because they know who we are and we're paving the way for the next generation of kids and it's just amazing and a brilliant thing to be a part of."

Having had a debut season in front of relatively few fans because of Covid-19, Exeter have flourished and now boast some of the biggest attendances in the women's club game.

Last season they won the Allianz Cup - their first piece of silverware - before losing to Saracens in the play-off final.

This term they have retained the cup, beaten Sarries in the semis and now face Appleby's former side Gloucester-Hartpury in the final at Kingsholm on Saturday.

"It makes me really happy that the side that I got going however many years ago up there is doing really well," adds the former England player.

"I still know a lot of the players, a lot of the staff, Sean Lynn's a fantastic bloke and he's doing really well.

"What makes me really happy is we're doing well, they're doing well, the top two teams are in the final and it doesn't always happen that way."

'This league is the best in the world'

Susie Appleby (centre) has led Exeter since the club first won a licence for a Premier 15s side

Kingsholm, which was chosen to host the final well in advance of Gloucester's success, will likely be packed for the game.

It will end a season which has seen women's rugby union in England once again increase in visibility thanks to the Red Roses making the World Cup final and their Six Nations success.

But with the men's game suffering major financial concerns - London Irish went into administration earlier this month and the top flight lost Wasps and Worcester last season - is a professional women's game in England sustainable?

"This league is the best in the world, there's showcase games every single week," says Appleby.

"The game is going from strength to strength. How sustainable is it? It's as sustainable as we make it.

"We put in a lot of work, it doesn't just happen, this club works really hard to make it happen.

"[Exeter chief executive] Tony Rowe's a businessman, so were really conscious that we want to make it the best that we can for Tony and everything that he's invested.

"The RFU have put down very stringent rules around a salary cap and that will stop, they believe, what has happened in the men's game where it gets out of control and clubs go under, so they've learned a lot of lessons from what's gone before."

Exeter beat Gloucester 58-19 a few weeks ago, but the Cherry and Whites rested a host of their international players for the fixture.

Despite that, Appleby is confident her squad gained a good sense of what they will face as both sides aim for a maiden title.

"We still beat a good Gloucester side, a strong Gloucester side," she says.

"We learned some things about their style of play, so it was a valuable experience, probably an important win for us.

"We only played them recently, but it doesn't really matter what's gone before, the main thing is the big focus on the final."