The Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 that took place between August 22nd and September 27th is certainly a notable highlight this year in Loughborough University’s sports scene, as Lightning members Emily Scarratt, Sadia Kabeya, Lilli Ives Campion, and Helena Rowland joined the line-up alongside former players such as Lark Atkin-Davies, Abi Burton, and Morwenna Tallingat at the upcoming Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025.
Even better? They won the whole tournament!
In a staggering 33 points against the Canadian team’s 15 points, it’s safe to say the members of England’s red roses earned its well-deserved victory after a gruelling set of matches against France, Scotland, Australia, Samoa and USA. Adding to England’s impressive 3-year winning streak on the fields of Twickenham.
Current Lightning Flanker Sadia Kabeya had this to say in a recent interview with The Guardian: “I can’t even explain it, the walk-in (after the anthems) was amazing, a once in a lifetime experience. Just to see the amount of support, the diversity in it – families, people who are younger, older, loads of men coming to the game – it was huge.”
Reflecting on her experiences as a South London player joining a rugby club for the first time back in Richmond, she adds “Richmond is a predominantly white area, I was young and I wanted to fit into the team so culturally I changed what music I was listening to, how I was speaking. I don’t speak how I used to speak when I was in secondary school, but I was a proper South London girl when I came to Richmond and I kind of wanted to change that and suppress myself. It’s only as I have gone along in the sport and met other people who look like me and have brought me out of my shell again that I am finding mypersonality. I am myself now.”
Now, alongside her fellow teammates at Loughborough University, she hopes to become an aspirational role-model to the next generation of potential forwards and backs as they prepare for the next challenge that comes their way — the upcoming Premiership Women’s Rugby season for her club, Loughborough Lightning.
On behalf of Loughborough University, we wish you all the games up ahead.
Knock em’ dead Lightnings!
