Loughborough Lightning have secured Red Roses prospect Grace Clifford on a multi-year extended contract.
The tighthead prop joined Lightning in 2022 from Harlequins, making a try-scoring debut against Wasps in September 2022.
Having shone for England Under-20s, Clifford earned a Red Roses transitional contract in 2023 and has gone on to mark 19 Lightning appearances, scoring two tries.
However, her most recent outing was back in January 2024 against former club Harlequins. Shortly afterwards she was involved in a road traffic collision along with three Lightning teammates, while commuting to an England U20 training camp.
Clifford suffered a broken pelvis, a dislocated hip and broken bones in her back. The former Burgess Hill RFC, Horsham RFC and Worthing College player underwent surgery and spent ten days in hospital.
While her rehabilitation remains ongoing, Clifford was offered and accepted a contract extension at Lightning as well as having her transitional deal with the Red Roses renewed for another year.
“The amount of support was so overwhelming,” she said. “I had an incredible support system around me.
“Both the Red Roses and Lightning have showed a tremendous amount of faith in me and it has really spurred me on to repay that and do all I can to get back onto the pitch.”
“I am six or seven months in now and making good progress. I am back in gym loading up and changing direction with my movements on the pitch.
“I’ve got a long-term plan of basically getting back to where I was strength wise, then back to running and building from the ground up. Which in a way I am oddly grateful for.
“There’s not many people who get offered an England contract at the age of 19 and are then given a full season to be personally trained by the best side in the world, to get stronger and better. At the end of the day, that is an opportunity that no-one has. I have got to make the best of it.”
Clifford, who is in her first year of a Business Studies degree, spent two days at a Red Roses training camp this week before returning to Loughborough to continue her rehabilitation.
She added: “Signing a new contract with Lightning was the easiest decision I’ve ever made because there’s not many clubs who manage to get you being a starting tighthead prop for England U20s and then manage to support you in getting a transition contract.
“It has just been amazing. Lightning have given me some things that you don’t get at other clubs. To be able to do studies alongside it at one of the best universities in the country, it is really remarkable for me as someone from a less fortunate background. It is the dream.”
Lightning head coach Nathan Smith said: “It has been a really testing time for Grace and the other girls who were involved in the collision. It was an awful thing for them to go through at such a young age. It rocked us all here at Lightning.
“Grace is making great progress under the guidance of our staff and the Red Roses. She is a rugby player with a tremendous amount of potential to go to the very top of the sport and we were very keen to make sure she does that while wearing a Lightning shirt.
“So we’re delighted to extend her contract and look forward to seeing her back out there on the pitch when the time is right to restart her rugby career.”
With thanks to Loughborough Lightning
