Exeter will be boost for women's game - Yapp

By Mark Stevens
27/4/20

Former Head of Women’s Rugby at the University of Exeter, Jo Yapp, says having a semi-professional team in the city will bring huge benefits to the city and the region as a whole.

Speaking in the latest edition of the Rugby Paper, Yapp – the sister of former Chiefs legend, Tony Yapp – believes the addition of the newly-formed Exeter Chiefs and Sale Sharks Women’s sides into the Tyrrells Premier 15s will help to enhance the competition.

With the Rugby Football Union accepting the applications of the Chiefs and the Sharks, it was Richmond and Waterloo who missed out in the ten-team tournament, which is set to get underway again in mid-September.

Yapp knows from her own time in Devon the hunger for women’s rugby in these parts is growing and that has been illustrated in recent years with Sandy Park playing host to a series of Red Roses fixtures, all of which have attracted crowds in excess of 10,000 people.

In more recent times, the new-look Chiefs Women have tackled both Newcastle Falcons (away) and the British Army (home) in friendly fixtures, but the hard work begins now for head coach Susie Appleby and her assistant Amy Garnett.

Both Appleby and Garnett will be coming up against Yapp, who last October took charge of Worcester Women in the Tyrrells Premier 15s.

“It’s important that there’s a good geographical spread and having worked at Exeter University before moving back up to the Midlands, it’s real rugby hotbed down there,” said the former England captain and Under-20s coach.

“There are a lot of talented girls in Devon and Cornwall who currently have to travel a very long way to get to their nearest Tyrrells club Bristol.

“I had a number of girls with me at Exeter Uni who were making that trip so it’s important there’s a club in the south-west, and Exeter’s a big rugby city so I can only see them going from strength to strength.

“Obviously, it’s hard for Waterloo and Richmond who’ve been around a long time in the women’s game. Hopefully, they’ll stay in a strong position in the future, but seeing two new clubs like Exeter and Sale coming in is very exciting for the league.”