Having won the National Challenge 1 last season, Streatham-Croydon ladies were prepared to fight for their place in the league, targeting a mid-table place but finishing an incredible third.

After a rocky start losing to a strong St Francis side and eventual league winners Medway, they were able to turn it around to secure a win against an impressive Canterbury, who ultimately went on to  take second place in the league. 

This kick-started a confident winning streak, which was only broken in the New Year when they faced Medway again, this time at home.

 The Christmas period saw the team take a trip to the Varsity match at Twickenham to see teammate Rhiannon Kennedy awarded the Rhino Rugby PropStar. 

She beat entries from across the country, nominated for going the extra mile for club and local community – and was presented with the trophy on the pitch by England Rugby legend Martin Johnson.  

Continued recruitment throughout the year, with Development XV fixtures against Battersea Ironsides, Hove, and Oxford University Panthers, helped build depth in the squad. 

This would prove to be extremely valuable; the team sheet was largely consistent but a few injuries allowed coach Nic Verdino to make some changes that added a new element to the side, whilst developing new players. 

The evidence for this was seen in the final game of the season away against old foes St Francis, with a 22 person squad securing a decisive victory, putting Streatham-Croydon ladies a comfortable third place in their league. 

The ladies also had a decent cup run, beating Rosslyn Park away which led to them hosting Crewe & Nantwich in the Plate semi-final, which Crewe narrowly won. 

This summer they will be playing in 7s competitions, having already won the Shield at local Barnes 7s Tournament last weekend, and heading off to Toulouse on tour on the May Bank Holiday. 

Next season they will be targeting promotion and are keen to build their squad For more info please contact ladies@streatham-croydon.co.uk or call Millie Ross on 07826515140.