The 2025/26 season has seen the U14 Spitfires face Bath Girls home and away several times, building a familiar, but friendly rivalry along the way. It also brought a special moment at Lambridge training ground, where the squad met stars of the Women’s Rugby World Cup after members of the victorious Red Roses visited following their momentous win at the start of the season.
On the 26th April 2026, the girls travelled to Bath for their final game of the season with just 10 players available. Bath started strongly and took an early lead, but after a quick reminder to sharpen their defensive focus, the Spitfires responded superbly. Turning defence into attack time and again, they piled on the pressure with outstanding team play and powered their way to an impressive 61–35 victory.
An early injury to seasoned Spitfire Lucy reduced the team to nine, but it didn’t rattle the girls for a second. They kept playing with determination and real heart. Many of the tries were true team scores, with the ball moving through multiple hands before being finished — a brilliant reflection of their teamwork, trust and unselfish play.
Defensively, the performance was outstanding. Strong, committed tackling and excellent counter-rucking repeatedly halted Bath’s momentum and kept them on the back foot for long spells of the game.
Mabel, who recently received the Spirit of Rugby award at the presentation evening, showed exactly why she earned it with a superb all-round performance — leading by example and lifting those around her.
A further injury to Flick saw the team reduced to eight players, but once again the girls dug deep. They showed incredible resilience and fitness to keep their intensity high and see out the game in style.

A fantastic collective effort — and a brilliant, hard-earned way to finish the season.
With the 2026/27 season looming, many of these players will step up into the U16 Spitfires squad. They will be missed in this group, but they take a huge amount from this year with them — and they will continue to grow as they face the challenge of the Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire (HOB) league alongside the rest of the U16s. For those remaining, this season’s U14s will form the nucleus of a strong squad, soon to be boosted by the U12 players moving up. With that blend of experience, energy and talent, the future for the Spitfires looks bright.