The UM Wolves RFC Women’s Team began 2026 in the best way possible as they registered a comfortable win over title rivals Stompers on Saturday.
The team was coming freshly off a very productive training camp in Gozo, and were boosted by the return of captain Raisa Farrugia from injury who started the match from the bench.
Off the kick-off, the team played through several phases with close supporting play allowing a number of offloads to come off. The ball went from the right wing to the left, with veteran Sairita Cassar making metres down the left wing before a dropped ball meant the ground was lost.
However, possession remained in green hands and Diane Pace broke through the Stompers defence. She was brought down just outside the Stompers 22m zone, but the ball went out wide to Amber Dalli who put down her fourth try of the season to open the score.
No conversion meant the score remained at 5-0.
Stompers were immediately put under pressure by the kick-off, playing a forward pass and conceding a scrum in their 22m zone to attack from.
A fumble meant metres lost, but more phases and offloading play created space for Sairita Cassar who cut inside through two defenders for a try which was not converted, making the score 10-0.
Stompers hit back with a try straight from kick-off to make the score 10-5. Stompers won possession back from the kick-off but could not get past the Wolves 10 metre line, with the girls in green making several strong tackles.
Several penalties meant that the half drew long past the seven-minute mark, but it finished with the score at 10-5 regardless.
Stompers were under pressure from a UM Wolves scrum in their territory again as the second half kicked off, and Amber Dalli broke after she looped around her winger – but she was brought down five metres from the try line on the right wing by the desperately recovering Stompers defence.
The ball however went back to the left wing in one quick phase, a move which culminated in Amy Munro scoring her first try of the season and her team’s third of the day. It was not converted, leaving the score at 15-5.
There was one more impact on the scoreline: Rebekka Bartolo ended several phases of short play as she sniped from the base of a ruck to score and make the score 20-5, which is how it remained at the final whistle.
In the same weekend, the girls registered a 28-0 win via walkover against Kavallieri.
Saturday’s result was the perfect way to start the year, with the women now rising to 20 points in the standing – level with Stompers, who won the first two weekends of the season.
The women’s team is in action again on Saturday 24 January.
Matchday Squad: Raisa Farrugia (captain), Diane Pace (vice-captain), Amber Dalli, Rebekka Bartolo, Sairita Cassar, Annah Mallia, Amy Munro, Brenda Caruana, Elizabeth McLeod, Jodie Bonnici.
