Corstorphine Cougars are the Arnold Clark Women’s Premiership champions for 2024/25 after they won 15 out of 15 games.
During the regular season campaign they were victorious 14 times and took 68 points from 70 available, scoring 738 points in the process and conceding just 148.
Stirling County, the 2022/23 and 2023/24 champions, managed to claim second place in the eight-team regular season standings – winning 11 games, losing three and gaining 58 points – to make their way into the one-off final.
In that play-off final on December 14 in front of a healthy crowd at Cougars’ Union Park ground in Edinburgh a try by Merryn Gunderson and five points from the boot of Lisa Martin had the hosts 10-0 up.
Stirling then hit back with three unconverted tries from Fi Keys, Emily Norval and Rachel Cox to go 15 -1 0 up before an important scored for Cougars just before half-time.
That try came from Katie Lindsay with ex-Scotland captain Martin converting and it was 17- 15 at the break and certainly ‘game on’.
Rachel Crawford’s five- pointer had Stirling 20 -17 up in the second period before both sides had players sinbinned and, as the clock ticked on, a thrilling finale was in store.
In the end, Cougars needed an unconverted try with just a few minute to go from Kiyomi Honjigawa to make sure of victory and 22-20.
After receiving the trophy and leading the celebrations, back-row Turner said: “Quite a few of our tighter games this season have come down to the last 10 minutes like this one did and I think in those types of situations our game management has been really good.
“We did well with the ball retention here and we just kept playing our own game and to get the last score we then knew that we just had to keep the ball and see the game out and we managed to do that.
“At half-time we knew that Stirling County were going to come out really hard at the start of the second half because that is a trait that they have so we just had to work really hard and keep our composure.
“We knew that it was our game to win and we managed to do that. This has been a great season, but it has not just been about the last few months, it has really been building over the last couple of years and to be able to lift a trophy at home is very exciting.
“I am very proud of the whole squad.”
- Of the 10 women’s senior leagues in Scotland currently, eight of the champions have been confirmed in the shape of Corstorphine Cougars, Shetland, Biggar, Kelso, Bishopton, Lochaber, Marr and Dalkeith and they have all recently lifted silverware.
In the new year the Caledonia Midlands East One champions and the Caledonia North Two champions will be confirmed.
Thanks to N50 Photography for the image of Corstorphine Cougars celebrating
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