Richmond Women’s 1st XV travelled to Hazelwood Drive this weekend to face London Irish for the second time this season, closing a chapter that had lingered since last year.

During the 2024/25 campaign, the two meetings between the sides were decided by the finest of margins, with Richmond falling 12–10 and 21–19. They were tight, physical contests that could easily have gone either way, but on both occasions the result slipped away.

This season, the story shifted.

Across two well-contested fixtures, Richmond emerged on top, securing 32–17 and 20–15 victories. Neither match was straightforward. Both demanded composure, accuracy and sustained defensive effort. The difference lay in consistent execution: sharper detail at the breakdown, improved game management and the ability to convert pressure into points.

The turnaround reflects a broader evolution within the Women’s section. Head Coach Ross Doneghan has placed emphasis not on chasing outcomes, but on raising performance standards week by week.

“This season, the Richmond Women’s squad has focused on performance over results,” Doneghan said. “Our mindset has been about how well we take care of the small details and how we learn from every opportunity. Our objective from the start has been about individual and collective growth.”

That approach has been evident in the way the squad has responded to setbacks and built continuity across the campaign. Redemption, in this case, was not about reversing a scoreline. It was about demonstrating progress. Against a familiar opponent who edged them twice last season, Richmond showed how far they have moved forward through disciplined, collective performance.

Richmond now sit top of the table, six points clear of last season’s pace setters, Old Albanian Saints. With ambitions of returning to Twickenham, attention turns to the final three fixtures of the regular season.

If momentum is sustained, Richmond are on track for a semi-final place where, as the table currently stands, they would face Cheltenham Tigers once again.