Women’s Performance Rugby

Loughborough’s performance rugby programme is led by expert coaches committed to developing both individual players and the wider team. Their work is supported by a world-class network of performance specialists, ensuring every athlete has the resources needed to excel.

Loughborough’s performance rugby programme is led by expert coaches committed to developing both individual players and the wider team. Their work is supported by a world-class network of performance specialists, ensuring every athlete has the resources needed to excel.

Our teams compete at the highest levels of domestic and university rugby, including Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR), the top tier of women’s rugby in England and BUCS Super Rugby, the premier university competition in the UK.

The programme benefits from a formal partnership with the RFU and strong working relationships with England 7s, providing players with access to elite development pathways and opportunities to progress within the sport.

The Loughborough Students Women’s Rugby Club (LSWRFC) provides a vital step for players progressing toward the top level of the game. In addition, we offer a development squad for those new to rugby, as well as our Road to Rugby programme - both of which feed into the BUCS and Lightning pathways. These structures offer players the chance to train alongside Premiership professionals and pursue international honours.

Athletes train and compete in some of the best facilities in the world. Loughborough’s high-performance environment enables players to refine their skills, fulfil their potential, and succeed, both on the field and academically at one of the UK’s leading universities.

A Loughborough Lightning rugby match in progress with one player running with the ball

Loughborough Lightning

Loughborough is proud to be the training base for Loughborough Lightning, who compete in Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby, the top tier of women’s rugby in the UK. 

While Lightning train at Loughborough University, making full use of our world-class performance facilities, the team plays its home fixtures at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, the home of Northampton Saints. This unique partnership allows Lightning players to benefit from both a high-performance daily training environment and a top-class professional matchday experience. 

With a squad that features several international athletes, Lightning deliver elite-level competition and regularly go head-to-head with the country’s top female rugby players.

Benefits

1 match day (Saturday or Wednesday)
3 team rugby sessions
Weekly tailored strength and conditioning sessions at Powerbase Gym
Skills session
Coach meetings
Comprehensive Performance Support, including access to physiotherapy, nutrition, psychology, physiology, and more
Performance Lifestyle support to help you balance elite sport with academic success
Scholarship opportunities for athletes who demonstrate exceptional talent and commitment

Our star alumni

Sarah Hunter wearing purple Loughborough kit

Sarah Hunter

BSc Sport Science with Mathematics graduate

Rugby Union

Sarah captained the England Team to win the 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup. In 2016, she was awarded World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year. Sarah has recently become the most capped England Rugby Player of all time at the RWC 2021, captaining the team to the final.

Emma Mitchell

BA History graduate

Rugby Union

Emma’s international career spanned 15 years, earning 57 caps, captain for 11 of them, and competed in 4 World Cups (winning one). Emma is one of the 9 founding members of Saracens Women’s Rugby Club in 1989 and was the first player to be inducted in the clubs Hall of Fame in 2010.

A photograph of former Wales Women's Rugby player Liza Burgess

Liza Burgess

BA Education and Physical Education

Rugby Union

Liza’s career spanned across 3 decades, playing in Wales Women’s first ever international and captaining them 62 times, playing in 4 world cups and coaching two world cups. Liza was another one of the founding members of Saracens Women’s Rugby Club in 1989 and is now a member of World Rugby Hall of Fame.

Sadiya Kabeya in purple and pink Loughborough sport kit

Loughborough University has helped me to excel and succeed in my sporting career, whilst also putting me in the best position to get the best grades I can. I feel well supported on and off the pitch, and I enjoy the tight knit culture we have. There is a family feel within the team, and just across Loughborough as a whole - everyone is there to help one another!

Sadiya Kabeya

Coaching staff

Nathan Smith

Nathan Smith

Loughborough Lightning Head Coach

After previously leading the BUCS Men’s team from 2018-2020, Smith brings a wealth of experience into coaching Loughborough Lightning having also spent three seasons with the Championship side, Doncaster Knights.

Charlie Becket

Charlie Beckett

Assistant Coach (Defence)

Following a 12-year professional career spanning across English Men’s Premiership and Championship leagues, Beckett made the transition into professional coaching in his fulltime role here at Loughborough. He brings his coaching experience having previously coached Cheltenham Tigers (Women) and Gloucester (Men’s) Academy.

Matt Campbell

Head of BUCS Rugby and Backs Assistant/Transition Coach with Loughborough Lightning

Bringing experience from his tenure at Edinburgh University, where he worked closely with both the men and women’s programme, Matt has also played, and coached, at the highest level in Scottish club rugby.

Abigail Duguid

Head coach for BUCS 2s and Forwards Coach for BUCS 1s

Having played for Canada, Abigail brings international experience to our BUCS programme. Over the past two years she’s coached as a forward and defence coach for U18 Men and Women’s provincial elite teams.

Prospective students

For more information about the team, programme, or general queries, please get in touch, and a programme staff member will respond.

Email us

Performance Women's Rugby is sponsored by