Written : Thursday 9th Oct 25Cranfordians Women vs Burgess Hill – 5 October 2025
Venue: Stoke Park
Result: Cranfordians 59 – 5 Burgess Hill
The Cranfordians Women kicked off their home campaign in style with a commanding performance at Stoke Park on Sunday. On a bright, blustery autumn afternoon, they produced an exciting display of attacking rugby, taking full advantage of the downhill slope in the first half.
With Burgess Hill only able to field 13 players, the match began as a 13-a-side contest. From the outset, Cranfordians’ forwards dominated the gain line, drawing in defenders and creating acres of space for the backs to shine.
First Half Blitz
The opening exchanges set the tone. The forwards made consistent metres and controlled the breakdown, with Bex and Anna causing chaos at the rucks and Dempsey and Ashley punching holes when attacking and smashing opponents in defence.
Following an early foray into the 22, the forwards were held just short of the line. Quick ball out wide allowed Becky to dive over for the opening try.
Not long after, Crabbers—slotting back seamlessly after a break from the game—and Eve, solid in the scrums and dynamic in attack, laid the platform for another backs move. Becky, running at pace, broke through and offloaded perfectly to Rachel, who sprinted clear to score.
Moments later, Becky again broke the line, this time feeding Eloisa on a sharp inside support line to score under the posts.
Elle then regathered a deep kick-off inside her own 22 and carved through the defence on a brilliant run down the right. She beat several defenders before being caught in the opposition 22 but unfortunately took a knock and had to leave the field.
Cranfordians kept up the pressure. Tabs spotted a gap and raced through for another try, before Burgess Hill briefly rallied. They advanced into Cranfordians’ half but spilled the ball, leading to a superb counterattack. From a scrum, debutant scrumhalf Soph darted down the blindside and set Harriet loose. Although a last-ditch tackle stopped her short, Soph was on hand to finish the move and dot down.
Laura made an immediate impact from the bench, storming 30 metres on her first carry. The forwards worked through their pods efficiently before Tabs powered through again, using a strong hand-off and smart footwork to grab her second try.
The final score of the half came from Becky, who once more found space, this time stepping past the fullback to complete a stunning first-half display. The scoreboard read 47–0 at the break.
Second Half Challenge
The second half proved a more balanced affair, with Burgess Hill using the slope to gain better territory. Still, the Cranfordians’ forwards remained relentless. Pippa carried strongly and turned over crucial possession, while Kim made valuable metres and defended well. Anna, playing her first game at hooker, excelled at the set-piece, winning scrums against the head. Joss was a constant presence in the lineouts, stealing throws and making powerful carries.
Attacking uphill, Cranfordians continued to link up well. From close range, Tabs delivered a flat, well-timed pass to Becky, who hit the line at speed to complete her hat-trick.
Burgess Hill showed resilience and earned a deserved try in the Cranfordians’ 22, their fullback finishing off a well-worked move.
But Cranfordians had the final say. With the clock ticking down, Burgess Hill set up a lineout five metres from the Cranfordians' try line. Joss rose high to steal it, and the backs sprang into action. Eloisa broke through two defenders and offloaded to Becky, who was dragged down just short of halfway. From the ruck, Soph spotted space and sniped down the right before offloading under pressure to Harriet. She still had work to do but shrugged off her opposite number with a strong hand-off and sprinted in from 40 metres to score a brilliant team try under the posts.
It was a rare occasion where the forwards didn’t get on the scoreboard themselves, but their tireless work created the platform for the backs to flourish.
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Final Score: Cranfordians 59 – 5 Burgess Hill
Try Scorers:
• Becky (3)
• Tabs (2)
• Rachel
• Eloisa
• Soph
• Harriet
Conversions:
• Soph (7)
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Next up: Away at Horsham RFC – 19 October
