Lightning’s decision to link up with Northampton Saints was always likely to provide as many drawbacks as advantages.
They are such different creatures: one, the rugby branch of the country’s leading sports academy (as well as a major university); the other a distinguished club of long standing.
But they lie a distance apart, and their two fan-worlds have no obvious connection.
One answer now appears, as Loughborough seek a new Head Coach to superintend a wide range of responsibilities. But that person will be answerable to the Director of Rugby, so we may assume that the HC will be based primarily at the university, while the DoR will be seen more often at Franklin’s Gardens.
When the link was first announced, I remember wondering how things could develop. Would the Lightning side continue playing under its own name, wearing violet and pink, or would it be subsumed into the Saints’ way of things? As the hunt of an HC is announced (late May 2023), Lightning have maintained their own identity, which is a blessing.
Whatever Saints’ virtues, they have jumped on the wagon of women’s rugby at a very late stage. Likewise Leicester Tigers, who have been admitted to to next year’s Premier 15s. They too linked up with a distant club with a long history of backing the women’s game, Lichfield. But in that case Tigers have made a complete take-over. Lichfield has become little more than a feeder club, however, much Tigers may deny the claim.
The Lightning HC’s brief is so wide-ranging that we might wonder what is left for the DoR to do. But these days there are weighty policy decisions like contracts to ponder over.
The 2022-23 season has been Lightning’s weakest yet. They have suffered many injuries, some very lengthy, but even then, results have been disappointing.
Next year will see them permanently without Sarah Hunter on the field. She has taken up duties as one of two England assistant coaches, so we must assume she will not be retained in the samem post at Lightning. They have also lost Leah Bartlett (Scotland) and Detysha Harper (England) to other clubs. But if players of the quality of Emily Scarratt, Helena Rowland, Sadia Kabeya, Cath O’Donnell and Morwenna Talling are regularly available, then the outlook for next year must be better.
But they are another club to suffer from the 7s/15s clash. Even if a GB 7s squad is finally settled, there remain other tournaments where England, Scotland and Wales will appear separately, most notably the Commonwealth Games. Then players like Chloe Rollie and Rhona Lloyd may disappear at unfortunate moments in the schedule.
Like every other Prem 15s club Lightning will have to count carefully the number of non-England qualified players it has. They have moved strongly into the Scotland market, but not all of their international players may be able to appear together at one time.
Whether the new appointment will be able to overcome all these obstacles remains to be seen.
