In sweltering conditions at Guildford RFC, Hove held their nerve and provided a fine display of rugby to win 30 points to 7, with a brace of tries from wing Hayley Templeman and a hat-trick from centre Lara Pearce, who added a conversion and penalty to her haul.

The game started at a frantic pace, with Hove putting Supermarine under consistent pressure in the first 15 minutes, capitalising on a loose ball to score an early try, and another before Supermarine came back to force their way over through powerful rucking.

With the score 12-7 at half-time, Hove still had much to do to secure promotion, with Supermarine putting on a strong display, particularly with some very effective forwards play.   With the benefit of a downhill advantage in the second half,  Hove scored a further three tries and a penalty, with  Hove’s player of the season, Sara Company, making some decisive contributions to switch play to send Hayley Templeman over the try-line twice.

Supermarine piled on the pressure to the last and were unlucky not to see more points for their efforts, as Hove’s defence held strong, notably through try-saving tackles from wings Christine Johnston (Hove’s back of the match) and Hayley Templeman. 

Hove’s forwards were solid as ever in the set-piece and open play, against a very experienced Supermarine pack.  The forwards also disrupted line-outs and never let up in defence, with forward of the match, Victoria Besley, instrumental in spoiling Supermarine’s possession and keeping them well behind the gain-line.

This win comes off the back of topping Championship South-East 1 league, which was a hard-fought league this season, with some very tough matches and last-gasp victories for Hove.  Hove’s women’s team’s success means a double celebration for Hove RFC, whose men’s 1st 15 have also secured promotion this season.

Captain Manjinder Nagra said: “This has been a great season for the team and the club and I am very proud of all that we have achieved.  The determination and team-work displayed against some challenging league competition has seen us become Sussex and South-East league champions.  Sunday’s play-off proved that this success is deserved and that Hove can step up to the challenge of the national league next season.”

The team would like to thank Hove RFC, our army of loyal supporters, and of course our coaches Liz James, Kath Browne, and Andy Sherwood, without whom promotion would not have been possible.

Hove women are now turning their attention to next season with pre-season training starting in July and social events throughout the summer.  The team would welcome both experienced and new players to join and has ambitious plans to develop its side in advance of the new season, looking both to bolster playing numbers with a second team, as well as to increase its integration with the development of girls’ rugby in Sussex.   If you would like to join the premier side in Sussex then please contact Ruth Punter (ruth_punter@hotmail.com) –we would love to hear from you.