Club debuts await eight new Exeter Chiefs Women

Eight new players will run out for Exeter Chiefs Women when they travel to Hartpury University Stadium to take on Gloucester-Hartpury on Sunday.

In the first of two pre-season PWR Up Series friendlies for every league club, Chiefs will kick-off at 14:00 against the reigning PWR champions before turning their attention to Bristol Bears at Sandy Park the following Sunday.

Both games offer Chiefs’ coaches a chance to see new, returning and existing squad members in action while international players are away with their home nation teams.

Chiefs debutants starting Sunday’s game include winger Georgina Tasker and No 8 Emily Robinson, plus 18-year-old Plymouth-born hooker Kayleigh Priest, who came through the Exeter College pathway via Kingsbridge RFC.

Meanwhile, University of Exeter student and hooker Millie Whitehouse, prop Flo Young, lock Zara Feaunati, centre Molly Saunders, and Exeter-born and former Exeter Saracens scrum-half Lucy Nye will hoping to make an impact from the bench.

Winger Katie Buchanan will also start among the replacements after returning from Red Roses camp today.

The half-back pairing sees scrum-half Flo Robinson and fly-half Liv McGoverne turn back time as they return to the playing berths they occupied two seasons ago.

Head coach Susie Appleby said: “The team is a bit of a mix; very English with Demi being the only overseas player in the pack. All the clubs are in the same position with some players missing, some new players, some young players and some existing players. It should be good fun.

“We will put a big focus on us for the PWR Up series because we do not know what the other teams are going to present. We’ll also be trying to implement what we have been doing in pre-season and we want to give everyone a run around as much as is possible.”

Exeter Chiefs Women

15 Merryn Doidge

14 Eilidh Sinclair

13 Naomi Brennan

12 Gabby Cantorna

11 Georgina Tasker*

10 Liv McGoverne

9 Flo Robinson

1 Demi Swann

2 Kayleigh Priest*

3 Hannah Sams

4 Poppy Leitch (c)