CUP FINAL FEVER! Why the PWR Next Gen Cup is unique – and vital

It’s a capital affair this Saturday at the StoneX Stadium, as North London’s Saracens are into the PWR Jaecoo Next Gen Cup final – to defend their title as reigning champions. And they’re up against West London’s Trailfinders, so it’s a mouthwatering repeat of last season’s PWR League final.

To mark your cards ahead of the final, Helen M Jerome travelled across London to catch both semi-finals in one day – and spoke to no fewer than six players from the four teams, including Ruby Tui – after their highly-entertaining clashes.

Want to know why this curtain-raiser PWR Jaecoo Next Gen cup ahead of the PWR league season is so important? Want to see new talent emerge before your eyes while each club’s internationals are away with their countries? Look no further!

Before you head to the StoneX or watch the final on YouTube, first grab a coffee and listen to the players – starting with new Trailfinders signing and Black Ferns icon Ruby Tui – as each of them talks about the importance of the tournament.

TRAILFINDERS: RUBY TUI

Ruby Tui is standing in the FanZone (aka Selfie Central) in Ealing after Trailfinders made a great comeback from 5-14 down at halftime to the valiant Sale Sharks, to winning 33-14. And she is smiling from ear to ear in the sunshine.

Why do you think the PWR – and the PWR Cup – are so important?

Ruby Tui: It’s important for the women’s game because rugby’s a business, right?

We understand that. We’re not ignorant to that fact.

But you need to start somewhere, and so the PWR is providing a platform for the entire planet to try and crack.

I know it is in the UK, it is in England, and I totally understand England should prioritise England players, but there is no other competition like this in the world.

While it is here in the palm of your hands, I say go all in.

Go for it, get the world here, get all the world’s eyes on it.

And I think having all the different nations is what makes it unique.

SARACENS: ELLIE BOATMAN, SOPHIE BRIDGER

Double act Ellie Boatman and Sophie Bridger (above, left) are bubbling over with excitement after their comprehensive 42-26 victory over Bristol Bears, which was at times less comfortable than the eventual semi-final score suggests. For Bears were briefly just two points behind, until the home side put the hammer down and roared into the final. With Boatman having just joined from Trailfinders, you can understand her joy at the prospect of facing her old team in the cup final, as she sits alongside Bridger.

Why is the Next Gen Cup different – what makes it so exciting for the rest of the squad, when many internationals are away. What makes it so exciting for you guys?

Ellie Boatman: Yeah, the PWR Cup is a really good opportunity for the wider squad to really show themselves and put their hand up for selection in terms of the actual PWR league.

There’s a lot of younger players who play, and a lot of club players who want to compete for their shirt, and there’s an opportunity for them.

For me personally, it’s a good opportunity to get up to speed with the team and also put my hand up for selection as well.

So, it is very competitive and it is an opportunity; I think that’s what makes it really cool.

And I definitely think the standard over the past few seasons has massively gone up in the cup, so it’s exciting to go and watch.

Have you noticed through all the rounds you’ve played, new talent coming through? Any particular people you want to shout out within your team?

Sophie Bridger: Yeah, it’s really nice to see some of these girls coming to their own.

Ruby [Ross] has really grown into the shirt, and I can see how she’s taking that on board from when she first started the first games to now. [Ross was Player of the Match in the semi-final v Bristol Bears].

A few of the other girls as well, even the girls that are in training.

We’ve got some really great backline that don’t make it actually onto the team sheet, but in training they’re challenging us.

Molly [Wilkinson]’s one of them. Alix [Ahad], another. Macey [Twine] again.

They’re really challenging us and keeping that standard quite high when they could easily knock off, but it’s really nice to see them all coming up through.

Like Morgan [Freeman] getting her chance, pushing through and really making impact.

So, people are growing and they’re playing with freedom as well.

SALE SHARKS: AMY RELF, LIZZIE GOULDEN

Scrum half Amy Relf is starting her second season with Sale, and New Zealand fly half/ full back Lizzie Goulden (together, above left) has just joined the Sharks from Gloucester Hartpury. We talk pitchside after their topsy turvy ‘game of two halves’ at Trailfinders, and it’s no surprise that they are both huge fans of the Next Gen Cup.

What has the cup meant for you guys? It’s a chance for maybe players who don’t always get the limelight, and younger players as well.

Amy Relf: We have such a good pathway.

I’d say probably six, seven people on that pitch today haven’t played for us before.

The likes of Lizzie [Goulden] and also the youngsters coming through as well.

It’s so good to see them pushing for the starting shirts.

When the internationals are back, it doesn’t actually mean that the internationals are starting because our pathway girls are so strong and give us that foundation to build.

Everyone’s challenging each other, which only grows the squad.

What about you, Lizzie?

Lizzie Goulden: Yeah, literally echoing what Relfy said, I think it’s a real chance to set the platform for what you want out of a season and giving girls exposure that may not necessarily get as much of it during the season.

They now understand the standards, they know the way we want to play, so it’s only going to bolster the squad heading into PWR season.

You want them fighting for that shirt, you want competition and training, and I think the girls that have been here for the cup have really bought into what Sale is about, and it’s been amazing from being a newcomer coming in and getting to experience what the culture’s like, what the values are like.

Then we’ve got the internationals coming back, and it’s on us to help integrate them back in and teach them what’s up, and I think we’ve got the ability to do that and actually drive standards more from the cup above, which is awesome.

BRISTOL BEARS: JENNY HESKETH

Wales international Jenny Hesketh (above) has had the honour of captaining Bristol Bears during their cup run to the semi-final, and she has nothing but praise for the competition. Notably, she has not just witnessed young players step up, but helped them reach new heights, so much so that she reckons the returning internationals may have to fight to get their places back in the starting XV. 

What makes the PWR Next Gen Cup special – and different?

Jenny Hesketh: The Next Gen Cup really gives a platform for a lot of development players and a lot of different pathways to come to light.

We’ve found this year our links with North Bristol and the University of Bristol have really grown, and we’ve used a lot of players from those pathways, which is really exciting because that brings a tie between the Championship and the Premiership, which in the men’s game is quite is quite good, but I don’t think we have that as much in the women’s game.

Hopefully, it’s going to help push the standard of the Championship and just create a really cool pathway, and from that sense, it’s been great to have so many and such a variety of players from different spaces in one team.

Actually having a good chunk of time to work together, because we’ve had myself and a bunch of fiftieth caps, centurions, who have played for Bears for a long time.

There’s Abbie [Ward] and Lark [Atkin-Davies] obviously coming back in post-pregnancy (below), and then we’ve also had players that it’s their first time in a professional environment, and so it’s been really cool to see that gel.

That’s exactly why the Next Gen Cup is such a cool place to be, because it really does have a mix of everyone, and that’s what we want, definitely supporting the women’s game.

Plus when the league starts now, we’ve got a core squad that have worked really hard to do really well in the cup, and we put ourselves in a really good chance to win that game last Saturday.

So, hopefully the internationals can come back and just add to it.

We’ve definitely had a push on us all staying exactly where we are, and everyone else can come in and fit in around us!

Are there any young players who maybe made a breakthrough in the cup?

Yeah, well, obviously front row is difficult.

Aisha Jah and Izzy Van de Straaten, both from the University of Bristol, have done really well.

Aisha did pick up a back injury in the middle of our pool games, but they both played a lot of minutes, especially for front row, which is really important for them.

It is also quite taxing, so they’ve definitely stepped up because they’ve shown they can perform at this level and can be consistent.

And that is also down to Holly Phillips and Amber Reed – Amber is obviously now a coach at Bears – but they’re both in the Bears environment, and they’re both coaching at the university, so that’s really cool to see Holly as a front rower supporting young front rowers coming through.

Obviously, she’s Canadian international, so Holly Phillips has a good CV herself.

I’d also say in the forwards, Heidi Pashaei Tarighoun. She has been really, really great.

She’s a dog as much as you’d say as a back rower, she works really hard.

She’s got great feet as well, and defensively, she’ll just be ripping the ball out of people’s hands.

And I think: how have we got this back?

But she was coming through at Bears, I think since Centre of Excellence has been around, so she’s been at Bears for quite a while, and she’s really stood out in this cup campaign.

I think she could definitely keep her shirt heading into the PWR League now.

I’d say those guys coming in the season in the backs.

Lia Green’s been great stepping up into 10, and we’ve had quite consistent backs for the last few years at Bears, so it’s been good to see how Lia could fit in at 10, and then Millie Hyett coming in.

So for young players, they’re definitely players that have stood out.

I’d say Heidi [Pashaei-Tarighoun]’s had a really big impact on pitch, and that’s been cool to see.

How about you having the captain’s armband?

Obviously, myself, and Jenny Herring have been sharing it, and then for the final game, she was unfortunately injured.

So, I took on the armband, and it’s been cool to see the value you can bring as a leader.

Because I’ve been in the environment for five or six years now, and I’m always well connected across the group.

I do think I make a lot of effort to create that safe environment, and also one we can all thrive in.

But a big push for me is that off-pitch energy.

And often when we’re having our leadership meetings, there’s a bigger group of us, and Abbie Ward’s been in that as well the last few weeks.

She’s really supported us, controlled that leadership style in game days, and how we can improve what we’re doing.

But for me, it’s been nice to see what sort of leader I can be because I’ve been the one that’s basically assigned with bringing a good vibe and being that connector.

So I think sometimes I find myself – although I’m not shy to be loud in a room – I do let everyone speak, and then I can bring everyone together and check our understanding afterwards, then actually apply it in a really fun way.

I’ve enjoyed that; I feel a lot of value in that environment, and we definitely can take that into the league.

I’ve captained a bit before in pathway, but not at this level.

So it’s been it’s been really cool to step up in that position.

The PWR Jaecoo Next Gen Cup final is also being streamed by the PWR on YouTube, so if you’re not heading to North London in person, turn on the telly, get your popcorn and settle in for another cracker.