PWR table so close it's IMPOSSIBLE to predict who will make top four

Premiership Women’s Rugby competition this season is so close it is impossible to try and predict who will make the top four.

There are 18 rounds of the regular season before the semi-finals and final. The top four clubs after 18 games qualify for the semis with the top two hosts for the last four fixtures.

Last campaign the top four was clear to see by Christmas with Harlequins not competitive. However, this season Quins are right back in the play-off discussion.

Between first and fifth there are just eight points separating the teams.

Exeter Chiefs are topping the table with 38 points with eight wins from eight games so far. Just three points behind them are Quins with seven victories from nine games.

In third is defending champions Gloucester-Hartpury on 33 points with six wins from nine. Fourth is Saracens, who have recorded six wins from nine and have 32 points. Bristol Bears are fifth on 30 points after claiming six wins from eight games.

The teams have not all played the same amount of games as the league has nine clubs which means one club every round has a bye week.

The competition for the top four places has made the league much more compelling to watch for fans this season. When the top four is easy to predict there is less jeopardy. But every round now supporters need to keep their eyes on all results to see how it affects the table.

A few weeks ago Gloucester were in fifth but have now jumped to third. It would be a huge upset if the two-time champions don’t make the semis but it is a real possibility with other teams stepping up this campaign.

The most improved team is Harlequins. The London side have already claimed more points this season than they did last campaign. They finished seventh in the 2023/24 season with 29 points after only winning four of their 16 games.

There are eight rounds of the regular season to go and so there is plenty of time for any of the top five to claim a play-off spot.

The competition is firmly at the top of the table though with 12 points separating fifth Bristol and sixth Trailfinders. There is no promotion and relegation and so the bottom half of the table are not fighting for survival.

It is great to see competition building within the PWR but that needs to transcend the entire league. Of course it is tricky to have all of the teams in form at the same time but if one or two more clubs could get to the level of the top five it would make the PWR even more of a sellable product and watchable league.

The introduction of promotion and relegation would really aid the clubs at the bottom into needing to claim more wins. But the PWR is a long way off introducing that and so fans may have a long wait to see more than five clubs vying for the title.