Loughborough Lightning are pleased to announce that Rugby World Cup winner, Sadia Kabeya, has signed a new contract to remain with the club.

The 24-year-old back row has made 64 appearances for the African Violets over five seasons, and scored her seventh try in ten games so far in the 2025/26 campaign on Sunday against Gloucester-Hartpury at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.

Kabeya made her Lightning debut against her former club, Wasps, as a teenager back in September 2021, when she became Lightning player #93. She reached the 50-appearance milestone in Loughborough’s first-ever victory over Saracens in January 2025 at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.

“I just love the club,” said Kabeya. “I’ve been here for five years, and I love the girls and the style of rugby.

“I love what Nathan’s done with the programme, and I’ve made leaps and bounds in my development in the last couple of years.”

The openside flanker is a contracted Red Rose, having made her senior international debut against Canada in November 2021, and has gone on to become a core member of John Mitchell’s squad, earning 28 caps to date, having played in two Rugby World Cups and earned the Player of the Match award in the 2025 Rugby World Cup final.

Her exploits in leading England to the World Cup win saw Kabeya appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King’s New Year Honours List for 2026.

“I still feel like I have 100,000 things to learn,” Kabeya continued.

“It’s really exciting to be in a group where you’ve got young girls coming through who are so talented, and I can also learn from them.

“There’s so much talent coming through the programme, young players coming through like Ala Lutui, and I’m really excited to take on that leadership role as I become a more experienced player. It’s a great setup to keep learning and growing.

“I’ve got so much more to give. I want to be the best player in the world, in my position, and for me, it’s achieving that. The better I am as an individual player, the more I can contribute to Lightning and England.”

Renowned for her high work rate, carrying ability and eye for the tryline, Kabeya has become a world-class operator for both club and country. Alongside her on-pitch success, she also balances her time with her studies at Loughborough University, studying Sport Science with Physical Education and Coaching.

“I’ve been here for a long time and created really strong bonds with the girls,” Kabeya continued. “The great thing about Loughborough is that when anyone joins, they come right into that family feel, and that’s definitely a huge reason why I want to stay.

“This season, even though it's been one of our better seasons, we haven’t even hit, I think, 50% of our kind of talent potential yet. It’s been super exciting to obviously push on this season with what’s to come in the next couple of seasons; teams around the league had better watch out.”

Kabeya’s re-signing follows previous announcements that Daisy Hibbert-Jones, Keevy Fitzpatrick, Mae Sagapolu, Helena Rowland, Carmella Morrall and Meg Davey have signed new Lightning deals – with more contract renewals set to be announced soon.

Lightning head coach Nathan Smith said:

“Re-signing Sadia is a massive statement of intent for Lightning to make, as I believe she is the best player in the world."

“She came back to us having been awarded player of the match in the World Cup final. She has since taken her game onto another level with Lightning, which is a huge credit to her given she achieved the biggest honour possible in the sport at such a young age."

“We’re fortunate to have Sadia in our environment and it is a pleasure to work with her day-in, day-out. What people see is her brilliant performances on the pitch, but we get to see her grafting here to stay at the peak of her physical powers and improving her game."

“Sadia hasn’t had it all her own way. She has had setbacks in her career but has always worked exceptionally hard during those periods of time to bounce back and become the player she is today. I believe there is still growth within her game, and I am happy Lightning is going to be the place to unlock it.”

Photo credit: Clive Wood