Zoe Schofield reports

It hasn’t been the start to the season that Birmingham Moseley Women had hoped for. With dry weather disrupting preparations and our pre-season friendly opponents withdrawing, our opening challenge came against Lincoln Women. A difficult first outing was followed by a well-drilled Bedford Blues side, and the confidence and belief needed to compete in National Championship 2 were tested.

But rugby is about resilience, and against Sheffield Tigers, we saw real glimpses of what this team is capable of. 💪

⚡ A flying start!

Moseley came out firing, with new recruit Alex Yates (Axx) crossing the line for a try inside the first two minutes, converted by Zoe Kings. Zoe then added a penalty to put us firmly on the front foot.

For the opening 15 minutes, Moseley were undoubtedly back to themselves. We were on the front foot, playing with confidence and putting Sheffield Tigers under real pressure.

However, the Tigers hit back with three consecutive tries in a 10-minute spell, including an intercept, shifting the momentum and allowing old doubts to creep back into the game.

But this team didn’t give up. ❤️🖤

The Moseley fightback!

The forwards showed their strength with a powerful maul, finished off by Sophie Bull for a well-earned try. Then, in the 52nd minute, Moseley came roaring back, with Rhi and Sophie both crossing the line in quick succession.

Suddenly, the momentum was shifting again, and Moseley were showing exactly what they could do when they played with belief, structure and determination.

Unfortunately, time ran out before we could complete the comeback, with the final whistle bringing a hard-fought 25–42 defeat. Sheffield Tigers capitalised on our mistakes, but the scoreline doesn’t tell the whole story.

There were plenty of positives to take away:

• A dominant forward pack that laid a strong platform.
• More structure, discipline and organisation in the backs.
• Some fantastic runs and moments of real attacking magic.
• Just three penalties conceded – a testament to the team’s discipline and hard work.

Most importantly, we saw what this group can do when they trust themselves and each other.

Yes, there are lessons to learn. Yes, the results so far haven’t gone our way. But this team has the talent, the strength and the fight to compete. Confidence isn’t built overnight, and progress isn’t always reflected on the scoreboard.

This is a team that is growing, learning and fighting for one another. The challenge now is to carry those positive moments into the next game and believe in what we can achieve.

Next up: Old Albanians away on Sunday 1 November, against the league leaders. It’s a big challenge, but one we should approach with our heads held high and belief in our abilities.

❤️🖤 To our Moseley Women: believe in yourselves, trust your teammates and remember what you showed against Sheffield Tigers. You belong on that pitch. Keep fighting, keep building and keep backing each other. Your best rugby is still ahead of you!

Let’s get behind the girls and show them our support as they head into another tough challenge. Come on, Moseley! 🔥