Ironsides Women 2024/25 - A Season of Strength and Spirit

This season has been one of resilience and growth, where both teams rose to new challenges, stood firm in adversity, and truly embodied what it means to play for one another.

For the 1XV, this year marked something special. We played at the highest level of amateur women’s rugby in the United Kingdom.

After just two seasons in Championship 2, we were promoted to Championship 1 and placed among the top twenty amateur teams nationally. For a busy, working squad, juggling life commitments with the demands of performance sport, this was a phenomenal achievement and a true reflection of the effort, care, and drive shown every single week. Despite now facing relegation, we are not the first, and we will not be the last. Other strong clubs have experienced the same movement between the Championship leagues, where the competition is intense and the level relentless. What mattered was how we turned up every single time and the lessons we took away.

We opened the season on a warm September day against Richmond. We held them scoreless for much of the first half, and the girls played out of their skin. This was against the team that would eventually go on to win the league. It was a confident and determined performance that showed we were ready to stand our ground.

There were so many moments to be proud of this year, including coming within five points of London Irish at home, fronting up to the power and physicality of Bath in November, a dominant home win over a forceful Beckenham pack, and a joyful and determined away victory against Sutton and Epsom in the depths of winter.

Perhaps most special of all was our last game of the season, when we faced Bath again. Despite having to rearrange the fixture and go with a skeleton squad due to injuries, the girls gave everything and played rugby to be proud of. After a long bus journey home, they returned straight to the clubhouse to celebrate the second team’s crucial win against Hammersmith and Fulham. That kind of solidarity in hardship and shared celebration of success is what this squad is all about.

The 2XV took a little while to find their feet in their second season in NC2. Several tough matches against stacked opposition and a wave of cancelled fixtures meant we were often under pressure and had to get creative. Friendlies were arranged at short notice with teams like Old Ruts and Beckenham. Despite the rocky start, the girls adapted quickly and thrived under pressure, finishing the year unbeaten in 2025.

The second team began to play with real cohesion and clarity, showing again and again that we are greater as a whole than the sum of our parts. Although not our first win, the 32-0 result away at Hammersmith and Fulham was a turning point. It was played in minus-three degree conditions, with brutal and gritty ground underfoot, and beating a team we had never beaten before unlocked a new kind of belief. We often had to change plans on the fly, playing reduced numbers under Game-On principles, learning new positions, and throwing ourselves into the chaos. It was never boring.

We ended the season with another first, beating local rivals Bec Belles in a knife-edge 17-14 victory away at Chiswick. Although we narrowly missed winning the league, we finished as very close runners-up and are proud to have earned promotion to NC1, where we will face the likes of Thamesians, East London, and Wasps next season. We are ready for what comes next.

None of this would have been possible without the people who make this club what it is. This year brought some tough injuries. Nellie, one of our youngest players, was injured during a difficult match against Thurrock. Despite that, she and her family remained present throughout the season- a steady and supportive presence on the sidelines. We wish her every success as she begins at the University of Exeter this autumn. We also wish the best to Rose and Amy, who have moved away from Ironsides; we thank them for all their hard work on the committee to help grow the women’s section. We were also lucky enough to welcome Finlay, our youngest and most enthusiastic supporter, who Cat and Lucy welcomed into the world in January. Without them both, the women’s section would not be where it is today, and their support has never faltered despite having a newborn on their hands.

Both teams had to manage without 1XV captain Kate and 2XV co-captain Jenny, who were both sidelined due to injury for part of the season, but still showed up to every training session and put in as much effort off the pitch as they always do on it. Across both squads, players stepped up to lead, to organise, and to take responsibility. That ownership and team-first attitude is what made this year possible.

We cannot speak about captains without mentioning Izzy. Brave, hilarious, and endlessly committed, she captained the second fifteen for two seasons and was a force in the tight five every time she pulled on the shirt. She has now moved to Harrogate with Owen, who is also now her fiancé. In Owen, we said farewell to a warm and talented coach who shaped the backs' game and gave so much to the 2XV. We also thank Sam, who, after several seasons with us, has stepped into a head coach role at Old Emmanuel. His thoughtful and analytical coaching meant a huge amount to many of us, and we are proud to see him move forward. Andy, who has given so much energy and enthusiasm to Ironsides over many years, has stepped down as head coach to focus fully on his role as director of rugby. His belief in this section and his strategic support will continue to shape our journey ahead.

To all our coaches, and those not yet mentioned- Jorge, Grant, James, who have poured so much into the sessions, match days, and support this year- thank you. You set the tone, push us to be better, and care deeply. We see it and we feel it. Thank you also to Wendy and the whole clubhouse team for keeping us warm, fed, hosted, and supported throughout the year. It has taken a village to get through this season, and it will take a village to keep building what we are creating.

Next season brings new opportunities. The 2XV will step up into NC1 and face a new set of challenges. We welcome Rob as our new head coach, bringing with him an extensive background in girls' rugby and a clear and ambitious vision for what our squad can become. We also welcome several new coaches with a wide range of experience and skills, including our first-ever player-coach. We are even now on the brink of launching a 3XV. We will meet new teams, travel to new towns, and take on new tests, but we will do so with the memory of those who shaped our path.

In January we lost Richard (Dickie) Smith, a true patron of Ironsides and a devoted supporter of the women's section in particular. He was always a kind and familiar presence on the sidelines, ready to offer a quiet insight, a joke, or a smile, and he made everyone feel welcome and valued. We only hope we can carry his legacy forward with us, a legacy of kindness, good humour, and team spirit. We play not just for ourselves, but also for those who stand with us, cheer for us, and believe in us.

Thank you all for being part of this season. We are so proud of what we have built, and we look forward to the next chapter.

2,3!