Trailfinders stun three-time champs for first PWR final
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- Trailfinders beat three-time defending champions Gloucester-Hartpury 29-26 in a PWR semi-final at Kingsholm — temporarily rebadged 'Queensholm' for the play-offs — reaching their first-ever Premiership Women's Rugby final.
- Gloucester-Hartpury opened the scoring through Tatyana Heard's try, but Trailfinders hit back with four unanswered tries and a commanding 24-7 halftime lead.
- Maya Montiel, Meg Jones, Isla Norman-Bell, and Emma Uren each crossed in the first half as the visitors — who only joined the PWR in 2023 and had never finished higher than sixth — overwhelmed the hosts.
- Gloucester-Hartpury launched a fierce second-half fightback with tries from Rachel Lund and Georgia Brock, cutting the deficit to three points at 24-21.
- Isla Norman-Bell scored her second try of the match to extend Trailfinders' lead to 29-21, and the visitors withstood a late Hannah Dallavalle try to seal the upset at 29-26.
Why it matters: Trailfinders, who only joined the PWR in 2023 and had never finished above sixth, have ended Gloucester-Hartpury's three-year title reign and will contest their first-ever final — a watershed result for a club that went from mid-table also-ran to championship contender in a single afternoon.
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