Blockbuster beginnings for Arnold Clark Women’s Premiership season

BIGGAR, SCOTLAND - JULY 22: Corstorphine Cougars’ Zoe Turner, Stirling County’s Holland Bogan, Garioch’s Jodie Dalgarno, Heriot’s’ Morven Thomson, Watsonian’s Ailie Tucker, Hillhead Jordanhill’s Brogan Carberry, Cartha Queens Park’s Carolyn Baker-Hughes, Biggar’s Alyson Henderson during an Arnold Clark Women’s Premiership Promotional shoot at Biggar RFC, on July 22, 2025, in Biggar, Scotland. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

The 2025/26 campaign has a lot to live up to after she dramatic and enthralling end to the previous season, where a try with just four minutes left on the clock saw Corstorphine Cougars defeat reigning champions Stirling County 22-20 in the final at Union Park.  

Biggar join the Premiership this season, having topped the promotion playoffs, securing a crucial 22-19 win over Stewartry, relegating them and taking the eighth and final place in the Premiership for 2025/26. 

Biggar had won 11 of their 12 fixtures in West Region League Division 1 to finish top there and earn their spot in the playoffs.  

Representatives from the eight Premiership teams met at Biggar’s Hartree Mill to mark the launch of the new season. 

Looking to the opening round of fixtures, Biggar have a tough start to life in the Premiership, hosting reigning champions Corstorphine on Saturday afternoon.  

Beaten finalists Stirling County will travel to Edinburgh to take on Watsonians, who won a third consecutive Sarah Beaney cup last season.  

Hillhead Jordanhill, who lost the Sarah Beaney Cup final to Watsonians by just a point, travel north to start their season at Garioch.  

And Heriot’s Rugby will host Cartha Queen’s Park as both sides aim to build on mid-table finishes last season. All four fixtures kick off at 2pm on Saturday 16 August.

L to R: Garioch’s Jodie Dalgarno, Heriot’s’ Morven Thomson, Watsonians’ Ailie Tucker, Biggar’s Alyson Henderson, Cougars’ Zoe Turner, Stirling County’s Holland Bogan, Cartha Queens Park’s Carolyn Baker-Hughes, and Hillhead Jordanhill’s Brogan Carberry.

Several players from the Premiership went on to feature in the Celtic Challenge for Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors. Cougars’ Alex Stewart and Adelle Ferrie, along with Watsonians’ Molly Poolman were last week announced in Scotland’s squad for the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in England.  

There was also significant Premiership representation in the Scotland U20 Women squad for the Women’s Summer Series, with six of the clubs in this season’s Premiership lineup represented in the squad. 

The league season will take a break after the opening weekend, for the weekend of 23 August, with Scotland playing their first 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup game against Wales. The Premiership season will restart on Friday 29 August with Watsonians hosting Corstorphine Cougars.  

Regular previews of featured matches throughout the season will be available at scottishrugby.org.