Six Lightning players named in Red Roses training camp

Six Loughborough Lightning players have been selected in the Red Roses’ first training camp of the 2024/25 season.

Winger Bo Westcombe-Evans receives her first senior England call-up after a sparkling 2023/24 campaign in which she scored 14 tries in 20 games – including four in one match against Harlequins in May at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.

The 22-year-old progressed through Loughborough’s BUCS side and made her Lightning debut in October 2021 and has gone on to make 42 appearances scoring 28 tries along the way.

There’s also an international recall for 2014 Rugby World Cup winner, Laura Keates. The 35-year-old has been out of the England reckoning since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury while training at the postponed 2021 World Cup in New Zealand.

The 62-times capped prop started the 2023/24 season without a club following the demise of Worcester Warriors, but joined Lightning in March and made five appearances, scoring two tries. 

Keates and Westcombe-Evans will be joined by Emily Scarratt, Cath O’Donnell, Helena Rowland and Lilli Ives Campion in the 40-player training camp squad that convenes today (29 July).

Sadia Kabeya and Grace Clifford will attend the first two days of camp before continuing their rehabilitation back at Lightning.

John Mitchell’s squad will spend five weeks as a collective before attacking the challenge of Six Nations runners-up France and World Champions New Zealand in September.
 
The squad then head out to Canada for WXV 1 where they will face the hosts, USA and the Black Ferns once again.
 
Head Coach Mitchell said: “Our first camp of 2024/25 allows us to reset what we stand for and how we will carry ourselves as Red Roses moving forward.
 
“Our game is working, and we have an opportunity to dial it up again. There is a massive amount of room to improve individually and evolve our game over the next five weeks.”

Red Roses Pre-Season Camp 1 Squad

Prop
Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears, 61 caps)
Hannah Botterman (Bristol Bears, 47 caps)
Mackenzie Carson (Gloucester-Hartpury, 15 caps)
Kelsey Clifford (Saracens, 8 caps)
Liz Crake (Trailfinders Women, 2 caps)
Laura Keates (Loughborough Lightning, 62 caps)
Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury, 30 caps)
Simi Pam (Bristol Bears, uncapped)
 
Hooker
Lark Atkin-Davies (Bristol Bears, 57 caps)
May Campbell (Saracens, 1 cap)
Amy Cokayne (Leicester Tigers, 74 caps)
 
Lock
Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury, 53 caps)
Rosie Galligan (Saracens, 16 caps)
Lilli Ives Campion (Loughborough Lightning, uncapped)
Cath O’Donnell (Loughborough Lightning, 30 caps)
Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears, 65 caps)
 
Back Row
Maisy Allen (Exeter Chiefs, 5 caps)
Georgia Brock (Gloucester-Hartpury, uncapped)
Poppy Cleall (Saracens, 65 caps)
Steph Else (Gloucester-Hartpury, uncapped)
Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs, 5 caps)
Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury, 67 caps)
Marlie Packer (Saracens, 104 caps)
Morwenna Talling (Sale Sharks, 13 caps)
 
Scrum-half
Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury, 72 caps)
Lucy Packer (Harlequins, 21 caps)
Ella Wyrwas (Saracens, 6 caps)
 
Fly-half
Holly Aitchison (Bristol Bears, 30 caps)
Zoe Harrison (Saracens, 49 caps)
 
Centre
Tatyana Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury, 22 caps)
Nancy McGillivray (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)
Phoebe Murray (Bristol Bears, uncapped)
Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning, 111 caps)
 
Back Three
Jess Breach (Saracens, 38 caps)
Katie Buchanan (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)
Abby Dow (Trailfinders Women, 45 caps)
Emma Sing (Gloucester-Hartpury, 6 caps)
Bo Westcombe-Evans (Loughorough Lightning, uncapped)
 
Utility back
Sarah McKenna (Saracens, 45 caps)
Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning, 29 caps)