Leicester Tigers Women have added Grace Freeman to their 2026/27 squad, giving Fraser Goatcher another ball-playing inside-back option for the next Premiership Women’s Rugby campaign.
The club confirmed Freeman will arrive from Western Force, where she has operated as a fly-half or inside centre after building her reputation through Sydney University and Super W rugby.
Why Freeman Fits Tigers’ PWR Reset
Freeman’s profile is not simply that of a depth signing. Leicester’s announcement highlighted her ability as a running 10 with an intelligent kicking game, two traits that should matter for a Tigers side still trying to sharpen its territory control and attacking rhythm.
Her strongest recent body of work came before joining the Force, when she led Sydney University to the NSW Jack Scott Cup and was named the side’s first-grade best and fairest player. Western Force also noted that she had previously made her Super W debut with Melbourne Rebels and had Farah Palmer Cup experience with North Harbour Hibiscus, including an Auckland Storm apprenticeship alongside Black Ferns playmaker Ruahei Demant.
55′ Grace Freeman makes her return to the field Force 07 – 17 Reds Watch LIVE now on @StanSportRugby #StrongerTogether
A Useful Competition Point For Leicester
For Tigers, the value is tactical. Freeman gives Leicester a player who can challenge at 10, step into the 12 channel, and help the side vary how it exits pressure. That is important in a PWR table where the gap between developing squads and established contenders is often exposed by kicking accuracy, defensive organisation and game management.
Leicester have already framed the move around Freeman’s capacity to put the team in the right areas of the pitch. If that translates quickly, this signing can become more than a squad-list update. It can give Tigers a cleaner route into matches where field position has too often dictated the result.
Freeman’s arrival also continues the wider cross-hemisphere recruitment pattern in the women’s game, with PWR clubs increasingly using Super W, Jack Scott Cup and New Zealand provincial form as reliable scouting markers. The league standard remains set by established figures such as Marlie Packer, making Leicester’s push for sharper decision-makers especially urgent.
Source: Leicester Tigers; Western Force.
