Women's BUCS Super Rugby: Champions Loughborough make their entrance as Hartpury, Brunel and Met impress
Women's BUCS Super Rugby Championship winners Loughborough got their season up and running in Edinburgh
©BUCS Super Rugby / Peter Watt
Women's BUCS Super Rugby Championship winners Loughborough finally got their season underway while Hartpury, Brunel and Cardiff Met continued their strong starts.
Hartpury overpower Exeter to make it two from two
Both sides came into the contest on the back of convincing Round Two victories, with Exeter (6th) looking to achieve what few have managed in recent times: a league win over Hartpury (3rd).
And they made an excellent start. A couple of minutes in, space opened up in the wide channel and winger Elsie Fairn crossed for the opening try, giving Exeter a 5-0 lead after five minutes.
Hartpury hit back before the quarter-hour mark through their own flyer, Hannah Smyth. Fly-half Hannah Marshall added an excellent conversion from the touchline to put the hosts ahead.
Exeter continued to pose questions, but Hartpury were the more clinical side in the opening half. Molly Bunker extended the lead with a try after 28 minutes, which was converted by Marshall.
A further score from lock Alas Pyrs put the league champions firmly in control before the break. Marshall's third successful conversion made it 21-5, with Hartpury's power game once again proving difficult to contain.
The hosts picked up where they left off after the restart, with Lauren Bailey cutting back intelligently against the grain to score a fourth unanswered try. The bonus point was secured, and Hartpury's lead extended to 23 points.
Exeter, looking to find a way back into the contest, got their second score through Reese Williams after the hour mark. They continued to test the Hartpury defence into the closing stages but could make no further inroads, with the hosts holding out for a commanding 28-10 victory.
It was another Hartpury performance built on forward power, providing the platform to take their chances clinically. They welcome a struggling Cardiff side in a couple of weeks.
For Exeter, it is one win from three, with another stern test on the horizon against high-flying Cardiff Met. It promises to be an important early-season encounter, with plenty of play-off permutations already in the background.
Loughborough make winning start in Scottish capital
Loughborough (5th) have had to wait for their 2026/27 campaign to get under way, and a trip to Edinburgh (7th) provided a challenging first assignment.
It was a faltering start for the African Violet, with Poppy Mellanby making sure their season opener would not be a straightforward one. The Edinburgh fly-half slipped around the Loughborough defence to score in the corner after seven minutes, putting the hosts 5-0 ahead.
Edinburgh's Aila Ronald then endured a moment to forget. Her throw on her own five-metre line fell straight into the grateful hands of opposite number Harli Stanton, who crossed to level the scores after 14 minutes.
With their tails up, the champions struck again nine minutes later. Captain Freya MacColl finished off a move following an excellent pass from Ella Barnes to give the visitors the lead.
Barnes then switched from creator to scorer on the half-hour mark, finding space on the short side to claim Loughborough's third try. She was unable to add the conversion, leaving the score at 15-5.
The African Violet continued to find their rhythm and secured the bonus point shortly before the interval through blindside flanker Tamsin Baynes, who finished off the visitors' fourth try.
Ronald was then able to make amends for her earlier error with a clever piece of play. She ripped the ball from teammate Charlotte Fosbeary and scored in the corner after it looked like the lock would be held up in the tackle.
Lucy McRae added the conversion from the left-hand touchline to make it an eight-point game at the break, with Loughborough leading 20-12.
An energetic third quarter saw both sides go at it, although Loughborough had the better of the opportunities.
Eventually, the visitors made one count. Replacement Abigail Griffiths crossed after a well-constructed rolling maul, giving Loughborough a 25-12 lead after 65 minutes.
Eva Lawson produced a superb finish in the corner to give Edinburgh a late chance of securing a losing or try bonus point. However, the hosts could not make further progress and Loughborough held on for a 25-17 win.
Edinburgh head to Brunel when the league returns on November 11th, still searching for their first win of the season, while Loughborough welcome newly promoted Surrey to the Rubber Crumb.
Met dominant at Surrey
Cardiff Met (2nd) arrived on the back of a gritty 12-12 draw against Brunel University, knowing their unbeaten start to the season would face a stern test against a Surrey (4th) side boasting plenty of dangerous players.
Maddie Hughes, as she has done on several occasions already this term, led the charge for Met once again. The No.8 crossed for an early try after seven minutes, with Saran Griffiths adding the conversion to make it 7-0.
Surrey hit back shortly after through Malene Bowden-Evans, who continued her excellent try-scoring form with a close-range finish. Oxley was unable to add the conversion.
Jojo Vosakiwaiwai then put Surrey ahead before the 20-minute mark, the electric winger finishing in the corner. Oxley again missed the conversion, but the hosts led 10-7.
Two tries in the space of three minutes followed. Met winger Sophie Pidgley crossed out wide, with Griffiths converting, before Vosakiwaiwai caused further problems for the visitors' defence and produced an excellent offload for Aimee Bush to score.
An Oxley conversion made it 17-14 to Surrey, but Met hit back through Pidgley, who crossed for her second of the afternoon to restore Met's lead.
Captain Hughes then added another excellent score, picking up possession outside the Surrey 22 and handing off Megan Howells on her way to the try line. Griffiths' fourth successful conversion gave the Welsh side a nine-point advantage at the break.
Welsh power was the order of the day after the restart, with Met bringing plenty of physicality to the contest. Taufa Tuipulotu crossed from a maul early in the second half to extend the visitors' lead to 35-17.
There was no let-up from the Archers, with further scores from Ruby Pike and Cara Mercier putting the visitors in a commanding 47-17 position.
Aisla Merryweather did secure a try bonus point for Surrey before the hour mark, but the damage had already been done. Two more tries, through Amelia Bailey and Tuipulotu, completed a statement 59-24 victory for the side from the Welsh capital.
Cardiff Met will fancy their chances when they head to Devon next time out, after such a strong start to the campaign. For Surrey, the challenge does not get any easier, with a trip north to Loughborough awaiting.
Brunel batter Cardiff in big away win
Fresh from a frustrating draw against Cardiff Met, Brunel (1st) made the short journey from their previous venue to Llanrumney to face Cardiff University (8th). This time, however, there was little doubt about the outcome as the visitors dominated proceedings in a 57-0 win.
Amelia Rockley was held up over the line twice in the early stages, but Brunel eventually made their pressure count through the maul. Lucia Dickinson finished after 13 minutes following another impressive transfer and drive from the visitors, much like the one that proved so effective the previous week.
Brunel led 5-0 and continued to build their advantage, with further maul tries from rising star Lily Pereira Dos Santos and Maisie Foster giving the visitors a 15-0 lead at the break.
Cardiff held out for another 15 minutes after the restart before Pereira Dos Santos crossed for her second of the afternoon.
Further scores from Wheeler, Jackson, Rockley, Fereday and Candlin completed a nine-try demolition of Cardiff, underlining the attacking threat of last year's finalists.
Brunel were clinical throughout and look in excellent shape ahead of their trip to Edinburgh on November 11th.
For Cardiff, a difficult afternoon is followed by another tough assignment, with a trip to Hartpury awaiting.
Round 4 - 11th November 2026
- Brunel v Edinburgh
- Hartpury v Cardiff
- Exeter v Cardiff Met
- Loughborough v Surrey
