In the reverse game (Round 3), Quins came unstuck in the rain. This time round they would be as near full strength as makes little difference. They had seven England caps on the field plus two other internationals, Konkel (Scotland) and Sommer (USA). Against these riches Lightning could pit only five Roses. But the crucial edge came in the front row. Lightning were missing Justine Lucas and DaLeaka Menin. Now Shaunagh Brown could prove that the England selectors’ decision to move her there was the right one.

Heather Cowell scores her first try (Photo: B Perkins)

Quins made good first use of the strong SW wind that blew across the plateau. After Brown’s opening thrust the ball soon moved deep into Lightning’s half, where it decided to stay for most of the first 40 minutes. It swung right for Heather Cowell to show why she is the first-choice No 14 these days. Ellie Green’s conversion was a masterpiece of power, timing, and radar-controlled accuracy from wide out. 7-0  

The Quins’ pack started turning the screw to earn a string of penalties. The wind gave them an early advantage they weren’t to concede. From one of many 5-metre scrums Leanne Riley pounced. She sped round the blind-side, sold an expensive dummy and dropped over the line. Green proved that luck was playing no part in her processes: another equally demanding kick sailed over. 14-0

Though much of this first half was played out in the visitors’ defensive zone, both sides knew a 14-0 lead was very vulnerable. With a player of Katy Daly-Mclean’s talents at the helm, Loughborough could easily overhaul a 2-try lead. But just before half-time Quins displayed their accuracy in the passing game, sending the ball out wide to the left for Georgia Newman to add an important third try. To show she is human, Green’s third kick hit a post – the far post! – and bounced back out.

Half-time: 19-0

Leanne Riley scores (Photo: B Perkins)

If Lightning hoped they could repay the hosts in the same coinage in the second half, they were sadly disappointed. Against all expectations, the ball now spent most of the time at the top of the hill, into the wind, as the Quins pack really made their opponents pay for their weakness. Somewhere there must be a record for the number of times one side opts to take a scrum rather than kick a penalty. If it does exist, Quins must surely have beaten it by a street. And this, remember, was against the club sitting second in the table, and long-time leaders who had won the reverse fixture by 23 points.

Riley really came into her own now. When Lightning won a clean line-out, she somehow managed to make an interception where you would expect the opponent’s No 10 to be. Not satisfied with that, she hared off over the horizon with barely a grasping hand laid on her. 31-0

Later in the game she made a break of a quite different order, sweeping wide right and executing a perfectly timed offload to a grateful Cowell for her second try.

In amongst, Loughborough managed to restore an ounce of pride by mounting one sustained attack. A midfield penalty led to a line-out close to the home line. From there the pack drove and drove so at last they could put points on the board. 31-7

Burford, Green, Riley and Abbie Scottt all replaced at same time (Photo: B Perkins)

So pleased were the Quins’ co-coaches with proceedings that we had the rare spectacle of three Red Roses and an Under 20 international – the skipper Rachael Burford, Leanne Riley, Abbie Scott and Ellie Green, all being replaced at the same moment. And there was still time for an Irish international, Leah Lyons to add to the opponents’ discomfiture in the tight. It was fitting that a forward, replacement Chloe Edwards, chalked up the last try as time was running out. Nice to have yet another England No 10 – Emily Scott moved up from the back – to send the conversion over. 43-7

Riley was simply magnificent throughout, sending out a stream of accurate passes that mocked the wind, making devastating breaks close in and far out and chivvying her pack who responded with their most dominant performance of the season.

Quins now jump above Loughborough in the table, but their shirt numbers remain obstinately invisible. Perhaps they are all shy.

Result: 43-7

Other results:

Gloucester-Hartpury  53 Bears 7

Wasps 34 Waterloo 0

Two more games followed on Sunday:

Richmond 21 Valkyries 7

Saracens 59 DMP 0

]]> http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2018/10/05/students-and-alumnae-named-in-womens-world-twenty20-squad/ Fri, 05 Oct 2018 16:28:42 +0000 http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/?p=27403 Continue Reading →

Captain Sarah Hunter is naturally part of the squad, as is her fellow alumna Justine Lucas, who joined Lightning at the start of the season. Another new recruit Katy Daly-Mclean also gets the call, having been a mainstay for the Red Roses and for Lightning during their unbeaten start to the Tyrrell’s Premier 15s season.

Current student Cath O’Donnell is also on the list, the second row already with four caps to her name having progressed through the u20 ranks. Currently studying for a Masters in Work Psychology, O’Donnell will be hoping to do enough to earn a call up to Simon Middleton’s squad for the autumn internationals.

Of the selections, Lightning Head Coach Rhys Edwards commented: “It’s great to see so many Loughborough Lightning players involved in the camp, especially some of the new faces who’ve progressed to this stage. Carys Williams in particular is someone who epitomises what can be achieved when you come into a good environment and work hard; she’s somebody who over the last 12 months has grown hugely into the role of 13 in terms of her physicality and understanding of the game, and I think she’s been one of the standout players in league in the first four games.

“That is supported by the likes of Sarah and Katy who have bags of experience – having those two as part of our programme is invaluable.”

Loughborough Lightning players:

Jo Brown
Sarah Hunter
Justine Lucas
Catherine O’Donnell
Katy Daly-Mclean
Charlotte Pearce
Carys Williams

Ahead of the Quilter Internationals in November, a final England squad will be named on 18 October before the first Test against USA at Allianz Park on Friday 9 November.

The Red Roses then travel to Doncaster at Castle Park on Sunday 18 November before heading to Twickenham Stadium where they play Ireland on Saturday 24 November following the conclusion of the men’s game.

The full England squad can be found here.

Courtesy of Loughborough University.

Salliann Briggs (Photo: Loughborough University)

Although naturally disappointed to see her leave Loughborough, the University is delighted that Briggs is taking up a high profile role, having established and driven forward the women’s programme on campus.

As Head Coach down under Salliann will lead Tasmania’s WBBL side Hobart Hurricanes and WNCL team Tasmanian Roar, as well as harnessing the increased women’s participation at grassroots level.

Head Coach of Loughborough Lightning, who play in the Kia Super League (KSL), and Loughborough University MCCU Women’s Programme, Salliann established and drove forward the women’s cricket programme at Loughborough, leaving it in a better place than ever before.

Despite guiding Lightning to Finals Day in the inaugural KSL season, her biggest achievement will probably be as Head Coach to the England Women U19s, where she played a key role in the development of a large contingent of the current England senior team.

During her playing career Briggs amassed 114 one-dayers and 28 T20 matches for England, scoring more than 2,600 runs and making 34 catches.

Head Coach Salliann Briggs (Photo by David Crawford / www.stillsport.com)

Commenting on her new role and her time in Loughborough Briggs said: “I’m delighted to be appointed as Head Coach of Cricket Tasmania’s women’s teams. I’m looking forward to bringing my knowledge and passion to both squads, alongside my experience with sport science and specialist coaching, to help these cricketers achieve their full potential.

“I’ve worked at Loughborough University for eight years and it has been a privilege to work alongside so many amazing colleagues and hardworking players, all of which have given me great guidance and support over the years. I will miss the people and the environment, but it’s time for a new challenge and for someone else to enjoy leading the MCCU and Lightning programme. I wish every player and all the staff within performance cricket all the best, and I will most definitely be supporting from afar.”

Of her contribution to Loughborough cricket Performance and Development Director Richard Wheater said: “We are very proud of Salliann, her development of women’s cricket at Loughborough and her contribution to our world leading sporting campus.   Sall has been part of Loughborough since joining as an undergraduate and has been instrumental in leading a very high quality women’s cricket development environment.

“Sall has huge passion for cricket and for the role women play in sport generally and we will miss her drive and passion immensely. We wish Salliann every success in her new role and will be watching her progress keenly from afar.”

Report courtesy of Loughborough University

Celia Quansah (Photo by David Crawford / www.stillsport.com)

Six current students across the men’s and women’s game have England 7s contracts and the Scimitar Storm programme will work closely with the RFU National programmes to expose players to performance 7s alongside high calibre external players. The programme will be accessible to a variety of standards, entering tournaments on a National and International level. The programme will further support Loughborough’s award winning student experience and also offer a unique 7s development pathway, providing players detailed support on and off the pitch.

Scimitar Storm Director James Angove was keen to express his excitement in the new venture;

“We are delighted to be involved in such an exciting programme that will provide a stepping stone for young athletes who want to expand their experience in a specialist 7s arena. It will be a fantastic opportunity for all involved to train at Loughborough’s world class facilities week in week out with the support of experienced coaches and staff to increase levels of performance and ultimately provide players with the outlet to perform at the highest level.”

Loughborough and Scimitar Storm Coach Rhys Edwards shared his delight in the new partnership:

“This is a really exciting opportunity to establish a national, sector leading programme that will provide an opportunity for students to focus on 7s specifically. With Scimitar Storm being the vehicle for players to play elite level 7s, being supported by Loughborough Sport means that they we can deliver a high end performance programme. This is an extremely exciting time for both the men’s and women’s 7s game.”
Loughborough Director of Rugby Alan Buzza shared the importance of the new programme:

“Our relationship with Scimitar completes our offer across the adult game. 7s is a highly exciting sector and being able to offer a high quality experience, and put some resource around an already productive pathway, is very exciting.”

Report courtesy of Loughborough University

Sarah Hunter (Photo: Jessica Northfield)

Both teams began their season campaigns as newcomers to the league, Lightning as a new team in its entirety and Waterloo moving up after topping the Championship table and whilst neither side boast a straight set of wins, Lightning ran onto the pitch as the favourites after a victory in their opening match.

A slow start to the match saw possession volley between each side, with neither team managing to progress past the first phase for a number of minutes. Nine minutes passed before Waterloo finally broke into Lightning’s 22 after applying a constant pressure to Lightning’s defence. Finding a break in the line, Waterloo were the first to cross the line, twelve minutes into the match, claiming the first points of the day.

An elevated opposition then continued to pressure the Lightning defence, dotting the ball down for a second time just 5 minutes later, before claiming a hat-trick of trys at the 26th minute. Unphased by their opponent’s sudden surge on the scoreboard, Lightning’s Hannah Phillip soon pushed the home side into Waterloo’s half after an interception and tactical kick on the half way line. After this point, the opposition began to suffer at the hands of Natasha Jones, who broke through Waterloo’s defensive line in the 30th minute. A scrappy opening half ended with Waterloo in the lead by fourteen points.

Half-Time: Lightning 5 – 19 Firwood Waterloo

Natasha Jones try (Photo: Jessica Northfield)

It was a game of two halves as both teams returned to the pitch. Eager to impress the home crowd, Lightning had a lot of ground to cover to return them into their winning ways. They began the half, dominant and determined and in the nine minutes that followed, spectators were treated to decisive and powerful plays that saw Lightning’s O’Donnell and Hunter cross the line in a matter of minutes, bringing the score to within two.

A previously confident Waterloo now needing to readjust and regain composure, were too little too late as Lightning’s Olivia Jones quickly added to the tally with a third try in just seven minutes, pushing them into the lead for the first time in the game.

Not ready to give up however, Firwood continued to pressure the home side, their forwards using their physical advantage to block any advances from the girls in purple. Quick footwork from Hannah Phillip however, pushed Lightning closer to the line with just eight minutes remaining on the clock. Handing off to England 7’s powerhouse Celia Quansah, who flew across the line, Lightning celebrated their fourth try of the half, extending their lead by eight.

Two minutes remained as Williams sent the ball sailing through the posts after being awarded a penalty and thus closing the day’s scoring. As the final whistle sounded an elated Lightning celebrated their second win of the season after an impressive second half comeback.

Final Score: 30 – 19

MVP Hannah Phillip (Photo: Jessica Northfield)

Leading the way with fancy footwork and an impressive display of skill, Hannah Phillip was rightfully awarded MVP.

Speaking of the half time turnaround, Phillip had nothing but praise for her teammates:  “Today was defiantly a game of two halves! Waterloo had the go forward for the first half pinning us down in our 22. But after half time we came out a new team and played our own game. We knew we had to execute everything practiced over the last few weeks well to win. Everybody really stepped up and took responsibility for their roles and I am really proud of everyone!”

Head Coach Rhys Edwards also shared his thoughts on the day’s events: “It was good to get the win; we had a couple of things to work on after the Saracens game especially in defence so that was our focus for this week. In the first half we didn’t do so well, letting Waterloo in with some pretty soft trys but we used half time to refocus and to come out and get the win after that was very pleasing.

Hannah Phillip defensively today was a standout player for me, making some big hits and that really spurred the rest of the side on.

We have some exciting players in the squad who can score trys so the challenge now is to make sure we can get as much possession as possible and that’s what we’ve been guilty of the past couple of games.”

Lightning are back in action on 21st October as they travel to Twyford Avenue to face Wasps in the fifth round of the Tyrrells Premier 15s competition.

Keep up to date on all the latest news by following @LightningRugby on Twitter.

Report courtesy of Loughborough University 

La Toya Mason (L) talks with captain Sarah Hunter  (Photo by David Rogers – RFU/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)

Having Captained England in the world cup final in August, where England narrowly missed out on the win, Hunter has had her fair share of victory throughout her playing career. Boasting an impressive 97 caps and an MBE for Services to Rugby, the Loughborough University alumna was   voted 2016 World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year before captaining her side to Grand Slam victory in the 2017 Six Nations tournament.

Speaking of Hunter’s appointment, Director of Rugby Alan Buzza was keen to share his excitement;

Of the many highlights for Loughborough Rugby this year, the phone call confirming Sarah’s appointment is right up there with the moment we got the news about joining Tyrrells Premier 15s! She is a genuine icon of the women’s game, a fabulous person, and already a highly credible coach. She joins a hugely talented team at Loughborough Rugby led by the hugely impressive Rhys Edwards at a time at which it’s difficult to communicate quite how exciting the environment here is!

Sarah Hunter runs with the ball (Photo by David Rogers – RFU/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)

Head Coach Rhys Edwards spoke of his ambitions for the brand new side, in which Hunter will play a key role;

Having been recently appointed myself into the role of leading the women’s programme, our immediate task was to build a management to enable us to work towards being the best development centre for women’s rugby in the world. Being able to attract somebody of Sarah’s calibre and experience within the women’s game is hugely exciting, and having her knowledge and input into the High Performance Programme is going to be invaluable. I’m very much looking forward to working with her.

Currently taking a well-deserved rest from Rugby after the World Cup competition, previous Sport Science and Mathematics student Hunter told us of her anticipation to get started;

“I’m absolutely delighted to have been appointed to the coaching team at Loughborough and I’m really excited by the prospect of being able to play a significant part in ensuring Loughborough’s mission statement of ‘ being the best development environment in the world’ is achieved. Although Loughborough have insisted that I take a break after the WRWC I can’t wait to link up with Rhys and get started.”

Keep your eyes peeled for more exciting news as we reveal more of our star studded Lightning line up over the coming days.

Loughborough Lightning kick-start their season on home turf on Saturday 16^th September as part of their Double Header event with Loughborough Students Rugby National One side. Be part of the action by heading down to campus to witness the start of their campaign.

Report courtesy of Loughborough University

Ennis-Hill has long been a fan of competing at Loughborough University, having used the LEAP meeting as her final tune-up before Olympic glory in London four years ago. In her first outdoor competition of the season, the Toni Minichiello coached athlete will throw the javelin, as she did at the LIA in 2015.

Last year saw Ennis-Hill use the Loughborough International as one of her first competitions back, having not competed in 2014 due to the birth of her first child, Reggie. Her return couldn’t have gone much better as she went on to win her first World title three months later.

Ahead of Sunday the British record holder said:

“I am going to start off my outdoor season with a javelin competition at the Loughborough International to put a marker down for us to work with. It is a firm favourite of both my coach and mine as the timing is always good, and the local support is amazing.”

Ennis-Hill isn’t the only star using the LIA as a springboard for success in Olympic year, as European Champion and sub 10 second man James Dasaolu will compete over 100m.

On the prospect of running his first outdoor race of the year on home turf, Dasaolu said:

“Loughborough has provided a fantastic environment for me to train in. It has been my home for a number of years and so it’s particularly nice to open my outdoor season here in an Olympic year.

“It promises to be a fantastic field as myself and the other GB athletes prepare for a big summer. Training has been going well for me and I am really looking forward to the meet.”

Also running over 100m will be 37 year old Dwain Chambers, whose last outing over the distance came back in 2014. Another Loughborough based athlete, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, will also run the blue riband event, the European Championship bronze medallist already having a 10.18 performance to his name this year.

In the relays, European gold and silver medallists Martyn Rooney and Matthew Hudson-Smith will be in action, with Rooney another local favourite having studied in Loughborough and still using the university, which is also the home of British Athletics, as his training base.

Report courtesy of Loughborough University

Peter Briggs & Harley Towler (Photo by David Crawford / www.stillsport.com)

Loughborough Sport kept their 100 percent record going in the 2015/16 AJ Bell National Badminton League (NBL) with a fantastic 4-1 victory over Team Derby at the Sir David Wallace Sports Hall on campus.

The result was an important one for the Loughborough team, having lost out to Team Derby in last year’s final in a close fought encounter. Not only that, but it sees Loughborough go top of the NBL table for the first time ever, with a very much home grown team consisting of four current students and two graduates.

On the front foot from the off, Andy Smith was a class above his young Derby counterpart Alex Dunn, racing into 6-0 lead before taking the first game 9-4. The Beijing Olympian was in impressive form as he dispatched his opponent in straight games on his second appearance in a Loughborough shirt.

“I’ve got more experience in singles than mixed. Mixed last time we didn’t play particularly well as a first game together – it just takes a bit of getting used to. Tonight we wanted to get some good momentum, so it’s a really good start.”

Up next were Jenny Wallwork and Viki Williams, and the newly paired duo also got off to a flying start, taking the first game against Kate Robertshaw and Gail Emms 9-3. The Derby duo pegged back captain Wallwork and debutant Williams though and continued their momentum to go 2-1 up.

The pressure was on the Loughborough girls in the fourth game, and with the Derby duo just two points from victory they rallied, but couldn’t quite save the match, succumbing 1-3.

Post-match Jenny Wallwork commented: “We were really happy with how we started the game. We did come out quick. But unfortunately somewhere along the way we lost our momentum. We made a few mistakes and we lost a bit of confidence and I think that sort of showed throughout the rest of the match and we never really regained that confidence in trying different shots. It was tough.”

The positive starts continued as Chloe Birch took to court in the women’s singles against 15 year old talent Grace King. Birch was in a business-like mood though, winning the first game 9-3. A Team Derby time-out at 5-1 in the second game wasn’t enough to throw Birch off her rhythm though, as she won the game 9-4.

Starting the third and final game with a Power Play, Birch was immediately two points to the good and quickly ran out a 9-1 winner to secure the match.

“I think everyone has taken confidence from every game and everyone is playing really well. It’s a lot better start than last year and I think everyone is getting used to the NBL and really enjoying it this year, instead of being a bit nervous like last year.”

Following an extremely positive preparation camp prior to winning bronze at the Netball World Cup in Australia this summer, Tracey Neville and her squad will continue to use the University as their base until at least January 2016.

Commencing on 25^th October, Loughborough will welcome the team onto campus for regular training in the run up to the Vitality Netball International Series against World Cup winners Australia in January 2016.

Of the decision, England Head Coach Tracey Neville said: “Loughborough University is a world class facility and we are delighted to be using the campus as a base for the coming months. It has all of the provision we require as an elite level sports team in order to give us the ideal preparation ahead of our upcoming Vitality Netball International Series against Australia.”

Loughborough University is able to offer world class facilities combined with a flexible preparation and training that suits the needs of England Netball and the squad, with their various working and personal commitments.

Report courtesy of Loughborough University