Aylesford Ladies want to become the best women’s rugby team in Europe after joining forces with Harlequins.

The clubs have announced a partnership that will see Bulls join the Quins set-up.

They are set to play on with the Aylesford name in the Women’s Premiership next season but will eventually switch.

Home games will be split between the Jack Williams Ground and Quins’ 15,000-capacity stadium, The Stoop.

Michele Mayhew, a Bulls player for 17 years, has been named head of female rugby operations at Harlequins.

She said: “There’s a lot of work to do but we’re aiming to be off the bottom and finishing mid-table next season. We won’t get it right straight away but in the next five years we want to be top of the Premiership.

“Harlequins’ mission statement as a club is to be the best in Europe and we want to emulate that and be the best women’s club in Europe.

“We’ve also got two great coaches in Gary Street, the England World Cup-winning coach from 2014, and Karen Findlay, who was at Richmond for 10 years. To have their names associated is brilliant.

“Harlequins see where we’ve come from. They know our history, where we’ve been, and it’s exceptional for a small village club to reach the standards we’ve reached.”