35 years of Saracens Women

This season, we are celebrating 35 years of Saracens Women. Whilst we are of course looking at the achievements and accolades on the field, the club is also marking the achievements of our former players after they have retired from playing the game.

We talk about members of Saracens Women being pioneers when the club was formed in 1989, but we often forget about those who pull on the shirt, but also go on to have an enormous impact on the game once they retire. From a Saracens perspective, the list is vast.

Within the Welsh Rugby Football Union, Liza Burgess was the first women to be elected to the WRU Council in 2019, with Claire Donovan joining her in 2021 and Amanda Bennett now also sitting on the council. Burgess now also heads up the Welsh Rugby Union Pathway Programme.

Within Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby, a number of former Saracens are also making their mark.

Genevieve Short is the Chair of PWR, whilst Vicky McQueen and Susie Appleby are now Head Coaches at Leicester Tigers and this weekend’s opponents, Exeter Chiefs Women. In the international game, Lou Meadows is England Skills Coach, as part of John Mitchell’s coaching team.

The likes of Maggie Alphonsi are also making their mark in the world of punditry and further afield. Maggie was an incredible player but she’s also now carving out a hugely successful career as a pundit and is also part of the RFU Council.

Founding member and England international Emma Mitchell was honoured by UK Sport for Services for Performance Sport in the last few years and Sandra Soler-Gomez won the RFU’s unsung hero award for her work with referees and volunteering.

These people and so many more are continuing to do things to grow and develop the game, as well as other sports, but they all have been part of the Saracens journey.

Make sure to keep an eye on the Saracens social media channels throughout the rest of the season, as we look further into the remarkable stories of some of our incredible former players.