Premiership Women's Rugby: Exeter aim to go one step better and win title

Exeter have lost the past two Premier 15s finals - being beaten by Gloucester this year and Saracens in 2022

Exeter head coach Susie Appleby says a focus on a bigger squad could be the difference that sees her side finally win an English title.

The club begin the new-look Premiership Women's Rugby season at newly-established Leicester Tigers on Sunday.

The Chiefs have been beaten in the past two Premier 15s finals.

"Are we going to set out to win it? Of course we are, otherwise you wouldn't go into the league in the first place," Appleby told BBC Sport.

"But how we get to the last four, the play-offs, if indeed we're successful there, is very, very important for us.

"A reflection on last season was we probably had too much focus on a 23 rather than a bigger 30 or 32, so as these next few games unfold I hope you'll see a bigger squad and a little bit of a different emphasis."

The Chiefs have seen long-serving United States captain Kate Zackary, England scrum-half Flo Robinson and Canada forward McKinley Hunt all move to London-based sides.

But they have brought in in England forward Harriet Millar-Mills, Canada fly-half Alex Tessier and English-qualified New Zealander Maddie Fe'aunati.

"There's a different ruling around EQP (English Qualified Player) numbers - we have to have 13 in each matchday squad - which does shift the priorities because we don't want to be sacrificing five points in both halves of the league because it's a tough old league as it is," added Appleby.

"But we're not forgetting that we've got a really good core of players.

"Poppy Leitch has been outstanding, Ebony Jeffries outstanding, Rachel Johnson and of course Claudia MacDonald and Maisy Allen who got her first England cap at Sandy Park.

"So there's a really good core that will allow us to blossom, and then it's how you layer on these others that are coming in fresh."

Being 'professional' with part-time players

Susie Appleby (centre) has led Exeter's women's side since it was first formed in 2019

With Worcester pulling out of the league in October due to financial constraints and four high-profile men's teams all going bust within the past year, how can the women's game be viable and professional?

Outside of the centrally-contracted England players, almost all of the players in the league balance jobs alongside their rugby.

Top flight clubs have been restricted to a salary cap of £190,000 this season - compared to the £5m Premiership men's sides have this campaign.

"PWR are being very careful about the salary cap that is being imposed for the very first time this season," added Appleby.

"You can't go above it otherwise you get fined and you get docked points and all sorts, so it's going to be a bit of a jigsaw this season, where there hasn't been that much of a jigsaw in previous seasons, to get to where you want to go.

"It's not setting the bar too high in terms of the salary cap, not overspending because we're not the men's game, we don't want to be the men's game, we want to be the women's game, we want to grow,.

"A massive point for us to aim towards is 2025 when there's a home World Cup.

"We want to make sure our league is the best in the world. It is right now, but it's got to be sustainable, we can't have clubs disappearing and not being able to survive.

"That being said you've got to develop your dual career, our players don't get paid enough to be fully pro.

"The England girls are very lucky, I've got Canadians sitting alongside them, again one of the best teams in the world, and they're having to go to work every day all hours of the day.

"There's still quite a disparity in the players, but they treat each other as equals and that's the most important thing that we retain, we retain the amateur nature alongside trying to be as 'professional' as we can be, and that's what we really strive for down here."