Loughborough Lightning have re-signed GB 7s stars Alicia Maude and Abbie Brown for the 2025/26 season.
Scrum-half Maude, 23, joined Lightning in the summer of 2024, making two Premiership Women’s Rugby appearances and scoring her first try before her 7s commitments took over for the remainder of the condensed 2024/25 15s schedule.
Maude represented England at Under-18 and Under-20 levels and then excelled in the shortened format of the game, earning an England Women’s 7s contract in 2021. She went on to feature in the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2022 Rugby World Cup 7s in South Africa.
Verastile back Brown, 29, made her Lightning debut way back in 2020 and featured at fullback and on the wing. Her most recent appearance was more than three years ago against Bristol Bears.
An unfortunate injury denied Brown’s participation in a third Olympic Games for Team GB in 2024, but she enjoyed a long spell in the World Sevens Series for England, winning a bronze medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and captaining her country at the 2022 edition in Birmingham.
Brown also has strong pedigree in 15s, and caught the eye of national selectors earning five Red Roses caps after making her debut against Wales in the 2015 Six Nations.
Both Brown and Maude stepped away from the 7s game this summer following the end of the full-time Great Britain 7s programme at the end of July, and will be prioritising their 15s rugby moving forward.
“Lis and Abbie are familiar faces at Loughborough while shining around the world on the Sevens circuit,” said Lightning Head Coach Nathan Smith.
“Both are fantastic athletes and skilled rugby players, who bring with them a tremendous amount of rugby-playing experience into our environment here at Loughborough.”
Nathan Smith, Lightning Head Coach
“I am looking forward to having both of them more available for selection than previously after stepping away from Sevens for the time being. It really is like two new signings for us and they’re the kind of players who will excite supporters with the way they play the game.”
Maude and Brown could feature in Lightning’s first competitive game against Sale Sharks in the PWR Cup at Loughborough University on Saturday 23 August (kick-off: 12pm).
Tickets for Lightning versus Sale Sharks are available priced from just £10 (adult 18+), £8 (concession), £5 (junior 11-17) and £3 (child 3-10). All children under the age of three can attend free of charge. To purchase tickets, click HERE.
Loughborough Lightning 2025/26 Season Tickets are still available HERE, priced* from just £65 (adult) and £30 juniors.
*Season Ticket prices are subject to a booking fee of £2.50 per Season Ticket, plus £10 admin fee for Direct Debit.
