Loughborough Lightning have locked in long-serving captain Rachel Malcolm on an extended contract.
The tough-tackling flanker skippered Lightning in their very first game against Worcester Valkyries back in September 2017, and has gone on to make 57 appearances scoring 12 tries along the way.
Malcolm has been ever-present in Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby this season and is currently away on international duty ahead of Scotland’s clash with England this Saturday – where the 32-year-old is set to lead out her country on the occasion of her 45th cap.
“My decision to stay is very much based around how excited I am about what we can achieve with the squad we’ve got, the culture that we have built and also the players that we have got coming through,” said Malcolm. “I still feel that I can add value to that and what we are trying to achieve here. I have really enjoyed this season, but I do not think we have necessarily had the success that our hard work deserves.
“I think we have got the potential next season to push on and get that success and I am excited to be a part of it.”
Rachel Malcolm
Lightning currently sit fifth in the table ahead of their return to competitive action this weekend against Sale Sharks in the Allianz Cup first leg at Heywood Road, with the second leg taking place at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday 27 April.
Malcolm’s return to an African Violet shirt is likely to come on Sunday 12 May, when Lightning’s league season restarts with table-topping Gloucester-Hartpury’s visit to the Gardens.
“This year I have felt the most challenged as an individual,” Malcolm explained. “I feel Nathan (Smith, head coach) has put me in more uncomfortable positions in terms of training and games that has pushed me to improve my game.
“As one of the more senior players, that isn’t something you always get from a coach but it is something that provides quite a lot of satisfaction to me as an individual, I am very much driven by being the best that I can be personally.
“So, I think this is an environment that drives excellence and for me to push my game to the next level, particularly in a Rugby World Cup year, it is definitely a place where I want to be.”
The contract extension will take Malcolm’s association with Loughborough stretch beyond 15 years. She arrived at the university from Glasgow in 2009 as an aspiring hockey player, who represented Scotland at U17, U18 and U21 level.
At 25 years of age, Malcolm transitioned to rugby, initially playing two seasons with Lichfield before becoming a ‘Lightning original’ and has captained the club throughout its existence.
“Lightning and Loughborough has been home now for 15 years,” Malcolm said. “It has given a huge amount to me and I still think that I have got something to give back to it. I have been a part of Loughborough Lightning since the day it started, with that in mind, I am pretty passionate about leaving it in a better place and I think we definitely have the ingredients to do that with the squad we have and Nathan leading it.”
Smith has been in charge at Lightning since last summer and was delighted to get ‘Scotty’, as she is known within the Loughborough camp, signed up on a contract extension.
He said: “First and foremost, it is great for us to retain someone of Rachel’s ability and pedigree at both club and international level. We are extremely fortunate to be able to keep someone who is not only an exceptional player, but also an an exceptional leader within the group. She leads by example and is an invaluable link between coaches' messages in training or during a game.
“She leads by example and models the behaviours we want at Lightning to present in training and in games.”
Nathan Smith, Loughborough Lightning Head Coach
“I believe with the people we have signed and re-signed, they all have huge growth areas. I don’t want people in the team that I feel like have hit their ceiling.
“Rachel has shown throughout the course of this season, her game is growing and growing. You only have to look at the performance she put in against France for Scotland last week to know that she is still improving as a player which is really exciting to see over the next 12-month period where she can go with that, even though it is obvious that she is a quality player at the moment.”
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