The date has been circled for months but now the anticipation is reaching a crescendo as Leicester Tigers prepare for their Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby debut.

One of two new additions to English domestic women's rugby's top flight, Leicester will open their account in the competition at Mattioli Woods Welford Road against last year's runners-up, Exeter Chiefs.

And Sweden international Amanda Swartz is itching to get going after so much hard work.

"Excitement has definitely been building for quite a while now," Swartz said.

"We were in early for preseason, working very hard and the 19th of November has kind of been far away.

"It is really starting to sink in now that we are closing in on it. For each game that we have played, we have grown a lot as a team, but I think the excitement to actually get into the Prem has been building and building."

Swartz is one of a number of new arrivals at the East Midlands outfit, who are joining the top tier of women's club rugby in England after competing in Championship North 1 last season,

Along with the Sweden international, Leicester's Director of Women's Rugby, Vicky Macqueen, has recruited England duo Amy Cokayne and Meg Jones, along with a series of USA, Scotland and South Africa stars.

With many of the club's Test match players having only recently arrived full-time at Tigers after taking part in WXV, the side will be looking to improve on their performances in the Allianz Cup, in which they went winless in four games.

Their last outing was against the same side they will host this weekend, Exeter Chiefs, and though that was a chastening afternoon which ended in a 61-7 drubbing, the 23-year-old believes this weekend will bring a closer affair.

"That hit out against them in the Cup was definitely what you'd call a dress rehearsal," Swartz said.

"It was good for us to get some exposure to a team of their standard and see what it would be like.

"They are very well drilled, they have got loads of experience, plenty of really outstanding players and I think as a squad we needed that exposure.

"We have analysed that game a lot. We have a fair idea of that they are going to bring to us and what we needed to improve on from playing the last time."

Keep up with all the news from Premiership Women's Rugby at thepwr.com