Rugby Union

Royal Navy Senior Women draw in friendly fixture against Havant

NAME Rose Dixon CREDIT Alligin Photography DATE 16022023.jpg — Team Captain Rose Dixon leads by example in match against Havant (Credit: Alligin Photography).

NAME Royal Navy women v Havant CREDIT Alligin Photography DATE 15022023.jpg — Royal Navy Seniors battle against Havant RFC in Portsmouth. (Credit: Alligin Photography).

NAME Chloe Sapp CREDIT Alligin Photography DATE 15022023.jpg — Chloe Sapp converted two tries to contribute to the Navy's 19-19 draw against Havant. (Credit: Alligin Photography).

NAME Navy Women play Havant CREDIT Alligin Photography DATE 15022023.jpg — The Royal Navy hosts Havant at their Burnarby Road base in Portsmouth. (Credit: Alligin Photography).

NAME Abi Ashby CREDIT Alligin Photography DATE 15022023.jpg — Abi Ashby brushes off Havant tacklers to score the try of the game. (Credit: Alligin Photography).

NAME Royal Navy Senior Women CREDIT Alligin Photography DATE 15022023.jpg — The Royal Navy Senior Women's team settled for a 19-19 draw against Havant. (Credit: Alligin Photography).

The Royal Navy Senior Women have drawn 19-19 against the Havant Women RFC in a friendly fixture that saw the Havant players deny the Navy a win after a last-minute final try.

The fixture, played at Burnaby Road in Portsmouth, was one of many fixtures the Navy Women are scheduled to play as preparation for the Rugby Union Inter Services gets into full swing.

This fixture also marked the first time a Royal Marine played for the Royal Navy Senior Women's Rugby team, as Bugler Bronagh Gibb made her debut as a second-half substitute.

Congratulations to Bugler Bronagh Gibb who last night became the first Royal Marine to play RN Senior Women’s Rugby. Coming on as a 2nd half substitute in a 19-19 draw against Havant Ladies, she made an impressive debut. BZ @RMBandService @HMNBPortsmouth @RNRugby pic.twitter.com/LT2d42eEuf
— Royal Marines School of Music (@RMSchoolofMusic) February 16, 2023

The first try came from Lucy Honeybell, who made a powerful carry to dot the ball over the line, later converted by Chloe Sopp to give the Navy a 7-0 lead over Havant at half-time.

In the second half, Havant hit back with a converted try of their own to bring the scoreboard level to 7-7 to bring them back into contention.

Keen to regain the advantage, the Navy's Evie Horne dug deep to score an unconverted try to give the Navy back the lead, but it didn't take long for Havant to react as they scored a converted try to give the visitors a 12-14 lead over the Navy.

At crunch time for the Navy, the ball was passed to Abi Ashby and brushed off Havant's tacklers to dot the ball over the line for another try for the Navy, which was successfully converted by Sopp to put the Navy back in the lead at 19-14.

That lead was short-lived, however, as Havant's Daisy Lumsden would go on to score the final try of the game to deny the Navy a win, but failure to convert their try meant the Navy were spared a loss and had to settle with the 19-19 draw.