Hat-Trick Hero Holly Leads Royal Navy to Commanding Victory

On a crisp Wednesday evening, the Royal Navy Women’s Development side took on Havant Ladies in their opening fixture of the season, securing a 33 – 5 victory. Both sides fielded strong packs and organised defences, eager to exploit any weakness. The Navy combined size, power, and force up front, with the backs looking to demonstrate structured line running, evasive footwork and a clear structure — not only to secure the win, but also to highlight the depth of talent within the development squad.

Havant started strongly, applying early pressure straight from the kick-off and driving the Navy back into their own 22 through powerful forward runs. For the first 10 – 15 minutes, Havant maintained the attack, but the Navy turned the ball over and, through prop Kaitlin Bake’s powerful carries, began to push Havant back into their own half. While Havant’s scrum held firm, a turnover gave Josie Parnaby the chance to break the defensive line with a sharp step, taking the Navy to the edge of the Havant 22. More strong running from Bark and the forwards drove up to the 5-metre line, though Havant’s defence repelled the attack and forced a scrum.

The Navy also had opportunities to display their technical kicking ability. A high ball from Holly Cole hung in the misty Fareham sky and was recovered by Hannah Smart, but Havant’s defence held strong once again, winning another scrum. This, however, proved to be a turning point. From clean scrum ball, a handling error in the Havant backs gifted possession back to the Navy. After sustained phase play, Bark powered over for a well-deserved try, with Cole converting for a 7 – 0 lead.

Havant responded with renewed pressure, pinning the Navy back on their own 5-metre line. Strong defensive work from centres Louise Donald and Erin Hart forced a penalty, giving the Navy the chance to clear. Cole’s high kick did not find touch but allowed her to chase, harry the defence, and eventually touch down through sheer determination for her first try of the night. With that, the Navy extended their lead to 12 – 0 before half-time. Throughout the opening period, the Navy impressed with structured attacking patterns, wearing down Havant through phase play before moving the ball wide to the back three.

As the mist thickened, the second half began with the Navy forcing Havant deep in their own half, denying them attacking opportunities. It took Havant 15 minutes to finally breach the Navy half, where they built pressure through their forwards and eventually crossed for their only score of the evening. With the score at 12 – 5, the game tightened, with both teams exchanging turnovers in the middle third.

Fresh from the bench, Kaitlin Bark picked up where she left off, making dominant carries and providing the Navy with a platform. From this foundation, the backs executed a flowing passing move that found Parnaby in space. From 25 metres out, she produced electric footwork and pace to score under the posts. Cole converted, extending the lead to 19 – 5.

The Navy then began to take control. Two more tries from Cole — completing her hat-trick with powerful runs down the wing — stretched the lead to 33 – 5. Though Havant risked a dip in morale, they kept their focus, ensuring the final 10 minutes remained competitive and engaging.

The Navy was strong across the park, with standout performances including:

• Holly Cole, whose hat-trick inspired the win.
• Josie Parnaby, who marshalled the game superbly as fly-half and captain, adding a Jason Robinson-esque try for good measure.
• Kaitlin Bark, who, alongside the forwards, provided a stable platform, consistently gained metres with ball in hand, and forced Havant to adjust their game plan around her presence.

The match was a chance for players with little to no experience of service rugby prior to this game. Head coach James Pilbeam said after the game, “Great first game for the team against Havant! It was a competitive match, and we showed a lot of promise. We had six players who were stepping onto the 15-a-side pitch in a Navy shirt for the first time, which is great for the development of women’s rugby in the Royal Navy. The team worked hard this week in the build up and I’m really impressed with how what we practiced translated onto the pitch. There is a lot of potential and I’m looking forward to the next game.”

Women’s Dev XV: R Marley (VC), R Addis, K Bark; L Swain, A Maslen; L Fox, A Puttock, J Shaw; G Adams,
J Parnaby (C), B Wilcox, L Donald, E Hart, H Cole, H Smart.

Replacements: E Joss, E Thorpe, E Shehi, P Williams.

Words by Ben Jones

Images by Keith Woodland