Hampstead Ladies are overtaken but the second team secure their first win of the season

Hampstead Ladies suffered a home defeat against Hammersmith & Fulham on Sunday and were overtaken by their visitors - but the second team secured their first win of the season.

Having conceded the opening try, Hampstead hit back with a score from Angela Chapado and the sides were all square at 5-5 at the break.

However, Hammersmith seized the upper hand in the second half, registering 21 points without reply to leapfrog their hosts into third place.

Hampstead dropped to fourth in Women’s Championship South East Division Two and, although they are only three points off the top, they have played two games more than all of the other top-six sides.

There was better news for the second team as Barbara Sike scored four tries in a 45-20 victory over Haringey Rhinos.

Sike touched down on the wing early on and Louise Tyson then claimed the restart and broke through a tackle to dot down under the posts, while Ruth Burns converted to give Hampstead a 17-0 lead.

Emily Taylor crossed the whitewash out wide to increase the advantage before half-time and, although Haringey then hit back with three tries through their forwards, Sike scored twice more and Burns also went over the line, while converting all three efforts.

Alexia Battaglin, who captained the team on the day, said: “The team effort was absolutely phenomenal. We really played as a team and everyone gave it their all.

“What a score for our first win of the season - I could not be more proud of every single player’s performance.”