Exeter College Women’s Rugby Scores Big with England U18 Selection

Women’s Rugby in England is in an exceptionally good place, Women’s Rugby in Exeter is not only in a good place but breaking down barriers and making waves.

Riding that wave is the Exeter College Women’s Rugby Academy, in partnership with Exeter Chiefs. The Exeter College Women’s Rugby Academy teams are nearly unbeaten this season. They have won the Rosslyn Park 7’s, and as South West Champions will go to the Association of Colleges National Colleges Championships to represent the region. Recently they narrowly missed out against Hartpury in the England Colleges Rugby Football Union (ECRFU) Showcase Finals Day.

“It is an incredibly exciting time to be a female rugby player in Exeter.”
Susie Appleby – Women’s Head Coach for the Exeter Chiefs women’s side

With Exeter Chiefs currently in 3^rd position and in the hunt for the play-off spots in the Allianz Premier 15’s and unbeaten in the Allianz Cup, it is no wonder that rugby in the South West is going from strength to strength.

Susie Appleby, former English female rugby union player and now Women’s Head Coach for the Exeter Chiefs women’s side, said:

“It is an incredibly exciting time to be a female rugby player in Exeter. Since forming the Exeter Chiefs women’s team, the Exeter College women’s programme has really grown in status and levels of performance. We have a really good relationship with Dave Kimberley and Eilidh Sinclair, and the fact we now have 5 players in the England Under 18s squad speaks for itself. The future is bright.”

With five students from the Exeter College Women’s Rugby Academy chosen to represent England in the U18’s, things are only set to get better. Daisy Womack, 18, is one of these women. With training and studying full time she has a lot on her plate, but she says it is worth it.

“I think for a lot of us girls, it has been a dream since we were younger, but it is now becoming more realistic, and it’s been a really good experience. College has given us a more professional environment where we are training most days, with access to the gym and great coaches and that has really helped.”

Chris Wall, Academy Manager says the future is exciting; “With the Centre of Excellence run by Patricia Garcia and our Women’s Academy Lead Dave Kimberley, as well as the clubs new academy structure, this creates the infrastructure to identify and nurture local players. In turn, this creates a bigger pool of players which can enjoy rugby, develop, and thrive in the Exeter area. With the current partnership and collective vision, the sky is the limit!”

Abby Middlebrooke is living proof that this partnership works. Having started her college journey on a Sport BTEC, then an apprenticeship and now studying for a Coaching and Fitness Degree – she has done all this alongside representing Devon and South West rugby teams before moving on to England U18’s, Exeter Chiefs, Cullompton RFC and now England U20’s.

Speaking about her progression, she says; “When I came to the College, the course involved training every day and doing analysis, which replicated the life of a professional rugby player. This was much better than before, when I was only training once or twice a week at grassroots level. This kickstarted my physical progression as well as learning a lot more about rugby, specifically about my position. There was also a lot more exposure to the England coaches because of playing fixtures up and down the country and we were playing against a much higher standard.”

The Exeter College Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE) programme is run through the College’s partnership with Exeter Chiefs and is an RFU endorsed scheme for 16–18-year old’s, requiring 12 hours per week of Rugby specific delivery alongside student’s full-time course. Selected students can choose to study a Level 3 BTEC National Diploma in Sport, Sports and Exercise Science, or a choice of A Levels. Find out more.

Exeter Chiefs Women’s Side Boosts Exeter College Rugby Academy

Exeter College’s Ofsted Outstanding offer to the region’s top young rugby talent received a huge boost with the news that Exeter Chiefs’ newly launched professional women’s side received approval to join the Tyrrell’s Premier 15s League.

The agreement to join the league rubber stamps the launch of Exeter Chiefs’ women’s team and provides fresh impetus to Women’s Rugby Academy at Exeter College.

Exeter College has been offering the Women’s Rugby Academy education provision in partnership with Exeter Chiefs for three years, with students given the chance to pursue a career in professional rugby while receiving exceptional education with the College.

Following on from the success of the Men’s Exeter Chiefs Rugby Academy at Exeter College, the Women’s provision has grown in popularity since its launch three years ago and now almost 50 students are receiving both top class rugby coaching as well as Ofsted Outstanding education.

The creation of a fully-fledged women’s professional rugby side in Exeter has opened new opportunities for the South West’s finest female rugby players to remain in the area and pursue their career in professional sport while also receiving top class post-16 education.

Exeter Chiefs Women’s Head Coach Susie Appleby, who won 65 caps for England during her playing career, said, “It’s an incredibly exciting time to be a young female player in the South West. Exeter College already has an excellent rugby programme, which is crucial to the success of Exeter Chiefs Women.

“Exeter Chiefs will be supporting this programme; our players will be coaching, helping with analysis and also in the gym. We want female players to experience a professional training environment from an early age, and the Exeter College Academy provides this opportunity.

“We hope players graduating from the academy will be the next Exeter Chiefs stepping out on to Sandy Park and ultimately into an England shirt.”

In addition to students’ academic studies with Exeter College, Rugby Academy pupils take part in first-rate training regimes embedded into their timetable to ensure that their sporting prowess matches their academic progression. With state-of-the-art gym facilities opened in 2019, students can also get ahead in the gym when not in the classroom or on the pitch.

Exeter College Sports Academy Manager Chris Wall said, “We’re all thrilled that Exeter Chiefs are forging ahead with their plans for a women’s professional side.

“With the Chiefs’ influence and popularity, I’m hoping that this will not only help inspire our current students about the levels of the sport they can reach, but also help develop that next generation of women’s rugby players and raise their aspirations to a possible career in professional rugby if you’ve got the talent and work ethic.

“Our Academy players will be supporting the roster of players that are available to the Chiefs’ side and will get the chance to really interact and see what it’s like for the current professionals in the game. I can’t wait to see more positive benefits from this partnership come to fruition in the coming years.”

Sports Academy students at Exeter College have varied study options and students travelling from further afield could opt to stay in the College’s Clock Tower boarding accommodation, complete with ensuite bedrooms and communal social spaces. Support on travel is also available through the College’s Travel Scheme and there’s a wide variety of course options available for students taking part in Sports Academies.

If you have applied for the Sports Academy or intend to do so, Exeter College will be holding performance trials once the College reopens and the current situation regarding the Coronavirus pandemic allows it.