Premiership Women’s Rugby final: Saracens v Trailfinders

Venue: The Stoop Date: Sunday, 28 June Kick-off: 15:00 BST

Coverage: Follow live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app; listen to commentary on BBC Radio London (BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra) and BBC Sounds

Trailfinders’ England captain Meg Jones says they are targeting an “underdog victory” in their first Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) final.

The West Londoners only joined the PWR in 2023 and had never finished higher than sixth. They secured fourth spot before beating triple champions Gloucester-Hartpury 29-26 at Kingsholm in their semi-final on June 14.

Trailfinders now face three-time champions Saracens at the Stoop this Sunday, with the North London outfit chasing a record fourth title.

“I honestly didn’t think I’d be here,” Jones told BBC Sport. “It would be an underdog story and mean a huge amount to the club. And on the back of the season we’ve had, it would mean a great deal to me as well.”

Jones, 29, only joined Trailfinders from Leicester ahead of this season, alongside the likes of Scotland captain Rachel Malcolm and Canadian international Clare Gallagher.

Jones admits she didn’t expect them to be challenging the PWR final.

“Probably not at the start of the season, but I don’t actually think that far ahead. There are so many variables.

“We always set for the top four, and when we’d beaten Gloucester [in the regular season] a couple of weeks before the play-offs, we thought ‘Wow, we’re really clicking here. We know the plan'”.

Jones has won 33 England caps, including winning the 2025 World Cup final, but says she did not really feel settled in West London until after Christmas.

“You get all these big characters coming in, myself included, and you don’t want to stamp too much of your mark on it.

“With team sports, you test the water, see what works and try and get the best out of the group. But that takes time, building that rapport.”

“We just needed simplicity, and we probably got that wrong at the front end of the season, whereas now we have all these amazing rugby players, everyone knows what we’re trying to do, and we’ve made it very simple.”

Red Roses openside flanker Marlie Packer will play her final game in a Saracens shirt after nine years on Sunday before moving to Harlequins for the 2026-2027 season.

She told the BBC: “Winning would be a fairytale ending. I don’t think it could have been teed up so well. Having my final game for Sarries at the Stoop and hopefully my opening game for Quins here at the Stoop as a PWR champion for Saracens.”

Sarries came through a challenging semi-final, beating Exeter 40-38, and Packer believes that is a huge positive.

“We pride ourselves on our defence, and there were a few tries that we were really disappointed with. But I think that’s put us in really good stead going into this final.

“If it had been ‘breasy easy’ and we’d put 40 points on Exeter, we’d have gone into this final thinking all we need to do is show up and play. We know we have to put in a performance.”

Saracens won both league matches against Trailfinders this season, including a 57-5 thrashing away from home in November, but Packer said they would not be complacent:

“I don’t think you can read anything into it all. It was very early in the season. We did dominate them at their place, but it was the first time it had clicked for us.

“We saw what we had as a squad and were a very excited team, and that we could have a very exciting season. We’ve kept that momentum.”

Trailfinders’ Jones is also taking no notice of that November humbling:

“I think we’re very different now; we’ve gelled and found our DNA now. There’s a really good mix of cultures and nations coming together, which is beautiful.

“When you get behind the broken English, and understand how everyone operates, that’s where the respect comes from.”

Jones still expects an incredibly tough afternoon at the Stoop:

“Sarries are a wrecking ball. They’re accustomed to this level of pressure. They’ve set out from the beginning to win this.

“They’ve got quick ball, amazing calibre of players – Liv Apps winning the PWR player of the season, Zoe Harrison is in her prime, Marlie Packer and so on.”

“It’s going to be a challenge to stop them, but we want to stamp our mark on the PWR and put some entertaining factors out there because we know we can produce a good level of rugby when we click.”

Both Marlie Packer and Meg Jones performed in front of record-breaking crowds for the Red Roses during last season’s World Cup-winning campaign

Meanwhile, attendances for Premiership Women’s Rugby, which was set up in 2023 are improving, but there is still room for improvement.

“I always back the Lionesses (England Women’s football team), but I wouldn’t say I follow a Women’s Super League team. So I kind of get it from a fan point of view.

“Have the clubs matched the same level of investment as the Red Roses? I don’t mean players’ pay; I mean backroom staff, sponsorship and marketing.

“Until that’s matched, we’re probably not going to see the same level in my opinion.”

On a positive note, Meg Jones points to the ever-improving quality of player arrivals, with France centre Gabrielle Vernier joining Gloucester-Hartpury next season.

“I think it’s outstanding. We’ve got every nation wanting to come and play here, and I think that’s a compliment to the league and the RFU for what they are trying to push.

“We can only keep putting the product on the pitch, performing on the pitch, doing what we do to get more bums on seats.

“The PWR league is the best league in the world, and we play the best rugby. It is growing.”

A huge crowd is expected at The Stoop on Sunday for what is, of course, a newish London derby. Packer said: “It has only been three years, but I think this will be the start of the rivalry and the start of something special.

“The rivalry of Saracens and Harlequins only started when the women’s league went professional, and we met in finals.

“For the London clubs it’s ‘Who wants to be the boss of the capital?’ We’ve done it in the regular league; now it’s about who wants to do it in the final.”