SPORTS DIGEST: 23-29 March 2026
Fulham Women are champions. That single sentence belies the scale of what Steve Jaye’s side have achieved. Promoted as champions from Tier 5 last season, they have stormed through Tier 4 without losing a single league match – 18 wins and 2 draws from 20 games – clinching the FA WNL Division One South-East title at Craven Cottage itself with two games still to play.
The Cottagers are now two promotions from the Women’s Super League. For a club that dissolved twice and reformed in 2014, the upward trajectory is one of the great stories in Putney sport.
FOOTBALL
FULHAM WOMEN – FA WNL Division One South-East Fulham Women 3–0 Milton Keynes Dons Women (Craven Cottage) — Sunday, 29 March
Fulham Women are champions of the FA Women’s National League Division One South-East after a dominant 3-0 victory over Milton Keynes Dons – and they did it at Craven Cottage, the spiritual home of Fulham Football Club.
Centre-back Becky Stormer opened the scoring with a thumping header from a corner, before Ellie Olds doubled the lead with a sharp reaction finish inside the box. Olds then turned provider, finding Stella Gandee Morgan in the box to make it 3-0 before half-time. Fulham were comfortable throughout the second half and could have extended their advantage further, with Dale going close.
The title caps a remarkable trajectory for Steve Jaye’s side. Fulham won promotion as champions of the London and South East Regional Women’s Football League last season and have gone straight through the division above without losing a single league match — 18 wins and 2 draws from 20 games, 67 goals scored and just 16 conceded. They are seven points clear of second-placed Norwich City with two games remaining, meaning the title is mathematically sealed: Norwich cannot catch them even by winning both of their remaining fixtures.
Fulham Women now climb to the FA WNL Southern Premier Division (Tier 3) for 2026-27 — back-to-back promotions for a club that was playing in the fifth tier of the women’s pyramid as recently as 2024-25. They are now two promotions away from the Women’s Super League. For a club that dissolved twice and reformed in 2014, it is a story of sustained upward momentum that the Putney area can be genuinely proud of.
FA WNL Division One South-East — as of Sunday, 29 March 2026
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | W | D | L | GD | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Fulham FC Women | 20 | 56 | 18 | 2 | 0 | +51 | WWWWW |
| 2 | Norwich City Women | 20 | 49 | 16 | 1 | 3 | +40 | WWWWL |
| 3 | London Bees | 20 | 38 | 12 | 2 | 6 | +22 | — |
| 4 | Chatham Town | 18 | 37 | 12 | 1 | 5 | +29 | — |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
Fulham confirmed as champions — seven points clear with two games remaining. Title mathematically sealed.
Chelsea Women survive seven-goal Kingsmeadow thriller as Nusken fires late winner
CHELSEA WOMEN – Women’s Super League Chelsea Women 4–3 Aston Villa Women (Kingsmeadow) — Sunday, 29 March
Sjoeke Nusken’s 82nd-minute strike rescued Chelsea Women in a chaotic seven-goal WSL thriller that kept their fading title defence mathematically alive. Chelsea trail leaders Manchester City by nine points with three games remaining.
The match erupted inside two minutes when Chasity Grant capitalised on a misplaced Lucy Bronze pass to fire Villa ahead. Chelsea responded in devastating fashion, scoring three times in seven minutes: Sam Kerr equalised on 20 minutes, Naomi Girma added a second three minutes later, and Lauren James made it 3-1 on 27. But Villa hit back through Kirsty Hanson, who scored twice in four minutes — on 31 and 35 — to draw level at 3-3 by half-time.
The second half was cagier until Nusken drove home the winner, finishing a clinical team move to seal a pulsating victory that moved Chelsea back into second place.
Wimbledon well beaten at Stockport as away-day struggles continue
AFC WIMBLEDON – League One Stockport County 3–0 AFC Wimbledon (Edgeley Park) — Saturday, 28 March
AFC Wimbledon’s poor away form continued with a comprehensive 3-0 defeat at promotion-chasing Stockport County. Adama Sidibeh gave the Hatters a second-minute lead, guiding home Ben Osborn’s low cross, before suffering an injury that forced his withdrawal on 28 minutes. His replacement Kyle Wootton needed just eleven minutes on the pitch to double the advantage on 39 minutes after Tanto Olaofe’s driving run and pass. Wimbledon showed more spirit after the break — Ryan Johnson’s header was touched onto the bar by goalkeeper Addai, and Zack Nelson and Kai Jennings both forced good saves — but Oliver Norwood’s left-footed finish from the edge of the area in the seventh minute of stoppage time completed the rout.
Wimbledon remain on 50 points and sit 14th in League One.
INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL
White’s poignant comeback undone as Valverde penalty denies England at Wembley
ENGLAND – International Friendly (World Cup Send-Off Series) England 1–1 Uruguay (Wembley Stadium) — Friday, 27 March
Ben White’s return to the England fold after a four-year absence ended in frustration as Federico Valverde converted a stoppage-time penalty to deny the Three Lions victory in the opening match of their World Cup Send-Off Series. White, winning his first cap since March 2022, poked home from a Harvey Barnes corner in the 81st minute to seemingly cap a fairytale comeback — only to then concede the 94th-minute penalty for a foul on Federico Vinas, which Valverde dispatched from the spot.
Thomas Tuchel handed senior debuts to goalkeeper James Trafford and midfielder James Garner in a squad designed to give fringe players a final audition before the summer’s World Cup in North America. England dominated the opening exchanges through Noni Madueke and Dominic Solanke but could not find a breakthrough until White’s late intervention. The draw leaves questions about England’s cutting edge as their final home warm-up against Japan follows on Tuesday.
RUGBY UNION
Dombrandt heroics seal Quins’ Cardiff heist as six-game losing streak finally ends
HARLEQUINS MEN – Premiership Rugby Bristol Bears 14–18 Harlequins (Principality Stadium, Cardiff) — Saturday, 28 March
Alex Dombrandt delivered a captain’s performance on every level as Harlequins ended a five-month Premiership losing streak with a gutsy 18-14 victory at Bristol’s spectacular Big Day Out at the Principality Stadium. The number eight scored one try, prevented another with a crucial held-up ball, and forced the decisive late turnover that sealed the result in front of a crowd of 45,119.
Bristol struck first through skipper Fitz Harding, who powered over from close range inside ten minutes after Louis Rees-Zammit had electrified the opening exchanges. Dombrandt responded on 23 minutes with a try of his own, though Jarrod Evans could not add the extras, leaving Quins trailing 7-5 at the break. Evans’ second-half penalty edged Quins ahead before Rodrigo Isgro ran a sharp arcing line to finish under the posts on 59 minutes, Jamie Benson converting to make it 15-7. Steven Luatua’s close-range score on 76 minutes made it 15-14 and set up a nerve-shredding finale — but Dombrandt’s turnover gave Benson the chance to slot the match-clinching penalty with a minute remaining.
The victory closes the gap on eighth-placed Gloucester to just one point and reignites Quins’ hopes of a top-eight finish and Investec Champions Cup qualification.
Bristol Bears Women end Harlequins’ PWR playoff hopes in Big Day Out curtain-raiser
HARLEQUINS WOMEN – Premiership Women’s Rugby Bristol Bears Women 17–14 Harlequins Women (Principality Stadium, Cardiff) — Saturday, 28 March
Harlequins Women’s top-four aspirations were all but ended as Bristol Bears came from behind to win 17-14 in the curtain-raiser to the Big Day Out — watched by a club-record crowd of 14,020. Beth Wilcock and Aoife Wafer crossed for Quins to establish a 14-5 half-time lead after Christiana Balogun’s early try for Bristol. But Scotland centre Emma Orr turned the match on its head with two second-half tries, the second on 69 minutes finishing a slick backline move to put Bristol 17-14 ahead. Harlequins threw everything forward in a frantic final ten minutes but Bristol’s scrambling defence held firm.
It was a sixth successive defeat for Quins, who move up to fifth on a losing bonus point but — level on points with fourth-placed Sale — have played more games than those around them and have just one fixture remaining.
ROWING
Centenary Head of the River Race returns to Putney
The 100th Head of the River Race took place on the Championship Course from Mortlake to Putney on Saturday – a landmark occasion for one of the world’s greatest processional rowing events. Around 400 crews of eight competed on the Thames in the centenary edition, finishing on the Putney Embankment in front of large crowds lining the banks.
