Festive fixture beckons for Exeter Chiefs Women

Exeter Chiefs Women will herald the festive season with a visit to Sandy Park from reigning PWR champions Gloucester-Hartpury on Saturday, December 21 (KO 15:00).

This round 11 fixture will see a repeat of last season’s semi-final, but this time it will be played in front of a home crowd.

Rugby fans will be able to honour the tradition of a festive fixture while seeing some of the best women’s players in the world go head-to-head before they take a short break at Christmas.

Aside from the 25 internationals on offer from Chiefs, Gloucester-Hartpury also boast 10 Red Roses and a whole host of Welsh stars.

Off the pitch, Sandy Park will welcome Father Christmas to hear wish lists of young supporters while carol singers will give the crowd a chance to tunefully accompany them while enjoying other festive entertainment.

Christmas hats, jumpers and full-on Santa outfits for supporters will be activity encouraged with the reward of a cheery discount off selected Chiefs beanie hats from the club shop to anyone sporting festive grab. Mulled wine will be available from the bars along with the usual food and drink favourites.

Supporters will also be asked to nominate friends or family who may like to take on our inflatable Zorb challenge for this fixture too.

Hospitality will be available for this game in the Chiefs Suite. Families and groups of friends are invited to book ahead to enjoy a hot lunch before heading into the West Grandstand for the game at a cost of £26 per person for non-season ticket holders and £15 for season ticket holders.

Head of sales and communications Sam Blake said: “Rugby fans love a Christmas fixture, and we want to make this one as festive as possible to get the holiday season off to a great start. We are expecting a large crowd with many Gloucester-Hartpury fans travelling down too, so the atmosphere is set to be superb.”

Exeter Chiefs Women’s head coach Susie Appleby said: “It would be fantastic to see some new faces at Sandy Park for this fixture or see some people back here who have not been for a while. It will be a game-free weekend for the junior sections of our local clubs so it would be great if some of these young players could come and support us too. In return, everyone who joins us on the December 21st will be rewarded with the chance to watch some of best players in the world, many of whom will feature in next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup.”