Thanks to England’s enthralling World Cup triumph, women’s rugby is riding a wave of momentum — and that energy was on full display as a bumper crowd turned out to watch the Ferns’ first game of the season against local rivals Letchworth.

Both sides fielded new faces, with the Ferns handing debuts to Kerry Grant, Flo Hinds, Holly Davidge, Tasha Cockram, and Eleanor Johnson. The hosts wasted no time making an impact. A quick scrum and a strong early carry from Elliot Williams opened the door for Katie Humphries to break down the left wing and get in for the opening try.

The Ferns continued to dominate both territory and possession, their scrum proving a major weapon. Their second score came from another powerful Elliot run, the ball moved wide to Millie Saunders on the right (back for her second spell with the Ferns) who weaved through several defenders to cross the line.

Letchworth showed flashes of fight, proving quick at the breakdown and frequently ripping the ball to turn over possession. But just as they looked to gain a foothold, Sophia Solomon produced a rip of her own and the ball was swiftly moved out to Millie again, who raced over for her second try to put the Ferns 15–0 up within as many minutes.

Megan Johnston’s surging run nearly added to the tally, only denied by a determined Letchworth fullback. However, after back-to-back penalties, Elliot powered over under the posts for a deserved score, which Katie converted.

The closing stages of the first half became a stop-start affair with scrums and penalties breaking up the rhythm. But just before the whistle, slick handling from the Datchworth backs released Katie, who darted through to notch her second of the match; reminding Letchworth of her standout debut performance on their turf last season. The Ferns went into halftime with a commanding 29–0 lead.

They began the second half in similar fashion. Straight from the restart, the forwards’ power and the backs’ precision combined to send Kate Iles- returning after a season-long injury absence - slicing through the defence for a much-celebrated try.

Despite the scoreline, Letchworth refused to fold. Battling injuries, they mounted a spirited response and were rewarded with a converted try after capitalising on a lapse in the Ferns’ defensive line.

A lively addition from the bench, Reece Wannerton at scrum-half injected fresh tempo into the closing stages, and Megan capped an excellent all-round performance by crashing over for the final try of the day.

The whistle blew on an emphatic season opener. The Ferns one game down and undefeated.

Final Score: Datchworth Ferns 39–7 Letchworth