Georgie Perris-Redding during Sale Sharks v Harlequins (Credit: John Baldwin)

Sale Sharks captain Georgie Perris-Redding reflects on the women’s team’s journey from the struggling beginnings to becoming the fastest-growing attendance in the Premiership.

Sale Sharks’ home victory against Harlequins this weekend was the women’s team’s second sellout of the season, after their season opener against Leicester Tigers sold out back in October. 

The sellout on Saturday came a week after the club announced a 96% increase in attendance at the Morson Stadium across the first eight rounds of the Premiership compared to last season. 

Georgie Perris-Redding, USA international and captain of the women’s team, said: 

“I think mainly [we’re seeing] a new demographic, and that is after the World Cup, people that have been inspired by rugby, or young girls that are either trying it for the first time at school or watched it for the first time, wanting to come down and support locally.” 

The 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, which took place all over England in August and September, was the most attended edition to date, with a total of 444,465 tickets sold, and an attendance of 81,885 at the final at Twickenham Stadium.

With such a momentous event, it has been important for the Premiership clubs to make the most of the interest and attention on women’s rugby in England, to get hold of those newer fans, and to grow their club fanbases. Perris-Redding said:

“The importance of inspiring the next generation to play rugby, or to come and watch, or to referee, I think we as players, currently, with the way rugby’s going and the growth that we’re seeing, we have a massive responsibility to play a part in that.”

Having been at the club since the foundation of its women’s team in 2020, Perris-Redding has seen firsthand the challenging journey Sale has been on in the Premiership, and the struggle experienced by northern rugby union clubs. 

Perris-Redding joined Sale Sharks from Firwood Waterloo in Liverpool, a team that lost its PWR place in 2020. Newcastle-based Darlington Mowden Park Sharks left the Premiership in 2023, not ready to give the financial commitment necessary. 

“It’s been a real struggle for all of these teams, for the same sort of reasons why we struggled in the first place, is that everybody wants to go and play their rugby in the south,” said Perris-Redding. “And until a team is successful and has really imprinted itself in the league, these big players don’t necessarily want to move, and of course, I get it, it’s their career.” 

Ever since Red Rose Morwenna Talling joined Sale in 2023, the tides have been turning, and more international players have been moving up north. 

This summer saw Red Roses Amy Cokayne and Holly Aitchison join Sale, and most recently, the club signed Canadian winger Asia Hogan-Rochester over Christmas. 

With more recognisable and high-profile players, not only has the club strengthened its team, but it has also benefited from increased visibility. Perris-Reading said: 

“I mean, we have to talk about it now, but social media is massive. I think that’s where a lot of these new fans have come from, and especially with the coverage that the World Cup got. You look at some of these players like Holly and Asia, highly followed rugby players with a fan base within themselves, for what they do in their unique way.” 

All of these factors have resulted in Sale’s increase in attendance this season, showing that the demand for rugby union in the north is growing.

Although Perris-Redding represents the United States on an international level, her roots are in the north of England, and she recognises the importance of having northern representation in the PWR.

“I think there’s something really unique about rugby in the north and I think it’s just, yes, of course, we have that level of professionalism and we’re trying to win and compete, but we never actually forget our core values, that we are a massive family and that we represent a much wider project than just Sale Sharks.”

In a period where more questions are being asked about expanding rugby union in the north, Sale’s journey to where they are now is proof that these things take time.

Perris-Redding, when asked if she would want to see another northern team in the PWR, said:

“I’ve seen the struggle, and I’ve played in two of the teams that have really struggled to survive in the league. Even at Sale, it took us six years to be able to recruit these Red Roses and five years to be able to fully get that really top-class playing calibre to want to come and play up north. So, for me, I would never say never, but Sale needs to be completely overflowed and flourishing for there to be space for another one in the north. Until we see a massive growth in rugby in the north, it’s not possible.”

As the only PWR club in the north for the time being, Sale Sharks see fans travelling from as far as Newcastle and Sunderland to attend their home games, creating a community-like fan base that has been so vital to Sale’s on-pitch performances this season.

Sale’s 15-12 victory against Harlequins this weekend makes it two wins back-to-back in the PWR, where they currently sit in seventh with 23 points. With only six more rounds of the regular competition, they are on track to improve on their bottom finishes from the last two seasons.

Sale Sharks are next in action on Saturday, the 7th of March, at home against Loughborough Lightning, at Morson Stadium.