Rising stars shine in first year of relaunched Women’s football pathway partnership
Exeter College and Exeter City FC Women are celebrating a successful first year since relaunching their Academy partnership, which is helping young women and girls across the South West combine elite football with exceptional education.
Relaunched in April 2025 to strengthen the pathway for talented female footballers, the renewed collaboration has already delivered success on the pitch and supported players to progress into senior football and gain international honours.
Thirty-five players represented Exeter College’s Women’s Football Academy during the 2025/26 season across the weekday College team and the Exeter City Under-18 Women’s Saturday side, now based at the College’s Exwick Sports Hub and part of the Academy setup.
The campaign was highlighted by a historic first Association of Colleges National Championship gold medal for the Women’s and the Men’s Academy sides, the first time a College has taken home both titles in the same year since the competition began in 1997.
This success for the Women’s Academy came after first and second place finishes in their AoC Tier 1 league and a run to the National Cup semi-finals. Meanwhile, the Saturday side also enjoyed a strong debut season, finishing fourth in the Junior Premier League.
There was individual success too, with Lily Dowling and Kayleigh Turner earning international caps with England Colleges. Another standout individual moment came from first-year learner Georgia Vaccaro, who made her senior debut for Exeter City Women and scored a memorable winner for the Grecians in front of more than 1,500 supporters at St James Park.
Georgia is one of eight players in the Exeter City Women’s First Team squad who are current or former Exeter College Academy students. These include club captain Bow Jackson and vice-captain Leah Burridge.
Lauren LePoidevin is a first-year Academy player and was part of the National Championship-winning side. Lauren also captains the Junior Premier League side. Lauren said:
“Winning nationals was definitely my favourite moment of the year. The team spirit was amazing, and it was such a proud achievement for all of us. I’m really looking forward to next season and hopefully helping the new first-year players have the same enjoyable experience I’ve had.
“The partnership with Exeter City Women is really important because it shows young players that there is a clear pathway to keep playing at a high level after College. It gives all of us something to aim for as we move through the age groups and shows there’s an exciting future for football here at the College.”
Jack Gill, Deputy Head of Faculty for Sport and Physical Education at Exeter College, said:
“It has been an outstanding season for women’s football at Exeter College, and we are incredibly proud of our students’ achievements. From a coaching perspective, it has also been great to welcome Georgie Barber-Gresham, working alongside Aidan Whitfield and Aaron Wakley to create a highly effective coaching team.
“There is now a clear and established local pathway for players, progressing from the Girls Development Centres into the College Academy and onwards to Exeter City Women. To further enhance academic progression opportunities, we have been working closely with Exeter University to develop a strong local partnership with their football programme, while also collaborating with This Athlete to provide pathways for students wishing to pursue soccer scholarships in North America.”
Abbie Britton, Exeter City Women’s Manager, said:
“The relaunch of our partnership with Exeter College has already had a hugely positive impact. We have seen players benefit from a programme that combines high-quality coaching with excellent educational opportunities, and that is reflected in the progress so many of them have made this season.
“The pathway is becoming stronger every year, giving talented young players a clear route into senior football. Seeing players like Georgia Vaccaro make the step into the First Team and make such an impact demonstrates what can be achieved through the hard work of everyone involved.”
Exeter City Women captain and Exeter College Women’s Football Academy Alumni, Bow Jackson, said:
“The connection between Exeter College and Exeter City Women has created a fantastic environment for young players to develop both on and off the pitch. Having come through the College pathway myself, I know how valuable it is to be able to balance education with a high-performance football programme.
“It’s been brilliant to see so many players progressing this season, whether that’s earning international recognition, competing for trophies or making the step into senior football. The future is very bright for women’s football in Exeter.”
Following a successful trial process, the Academy is now full for the 2026/27 season, with approximately 20 girls set to join the programme in September. The Academy aims to build on its national success, compete for further honours in the Association of Colleges Tier 1 leagues and the National Cup, and continue to strengthen pathways into adult football.
Exeter College’s Women’s Football Academy gives aspiring young players the chance to pursue their education while developing in a high-performance football environment, with access to expert coaching, excellent facilities and regular competitive fixtures.
Trials are held annually in April. Interested students can find out more about the Exeter College Women’s Football Academy via the Exeter College website or at one of the College’s Open Events.
