Saracens Women confirm Senior Academy Graduates
Four Oaklands College graduates join Saracens Women's Senior Academy
Saracens Women are delighted to confirm that four players have progressed from the club's Academy into the Senior Academy, highlighting the continued success of the club's longstanding player pathway in partnership with Oaklands College.
After two years of development within the Saracens pathway, Alix Ahad, Leila Crick, Lavinia Natui and Ruby Ross have all earned the opportunity to take the next step in their rugby journeys, combining their education at Oaklands College with high performance rugby through one of the country's leading development programmes.
The quartet become the latest players to graduate through the Saracens Women's Academy, underlining the strength of the partnership with Oaklands College in producing players capable of progressing to the highest levels of the women's game.
Throughout their time in the Academy, all four players have represented the RFU Player Development Group at Under 18 level, with each earning further recognition on the international pathway.
Scrum half Alix Ahad enjoyed an outstanding final season, captaining the Academy alongside Leila Crick before representing England at the Under 18 Six Nations following her selection for the RFU Player Development Group. A former DiSE student, Ahad has spent the past two years developing through the Saracens and Oaklands pathway.
Back row and second row Leila Crick has also graduated after an impressive two years in the Academy. Having originally joined as a centre, Crick successfully transitioned into the forward pack and was rewarded with selection for England at the Under 18 Six Nations following her involvement with the RFU Player Development Group. She also served as Academy Co Captain alongside Ahad.
Fly half and centre Lavinia Natui continues her progression after two years in the Academy, having also completed the DiSE programme. Natui was selected for the RFU Player Development Group and further enhanced her development through involvement in England Under 18 training camps during the 2025/26 campaign.
Tighthead Ruby Ross has likewise earned her place in the Senior Academy following two years at Oaklands College and within the Saracens Academy. A DiSE student and RFU Player Development Group player, Ross was involved in England Under 18 training camps before an unfortunate injury ruled her out of the Under 18 Six Nations.
The continued progression of players from Oaklands College into the Saracens Senior Academy reflects the club's commitment to developing homegrown talent and providing a clear route from education and age grade rugby into the elite women's game.
The partnership continues to produce players who are excelling within the Saracens environment while earning recognition on the international pathway with England, with the latest cohort following in the footsteps of previous graduates including Amelia MacDougall, Joia Bennett and Chloe Flanagan.
Lewis Sones, Senior Assistant Coach, said:
“We are thrilled to be adding Leila, Ruby, Alix and Lav to the senior squad for the coming season.
“Their hard work within our U18 ACE programme at Oaklands College over the past two years has been outstanding. It is a credit to the players themselves and the pathway staff who have supported them throughout their development.
“We are all looking forward to seeing them implement that same approach at senior level, and I am personally looking forward to working with them.”
Alex Austerberry, Director of Rugby, said:
“It's always an exciting time to see the next egenration of talent coming through our pathway. It is a testament not only to the players themselves, who I am excited to work with but the system at Oaklands as a whole consistently providing quality young talent into the senior game."
Niamh McHugh, U18 Pathway Lead, said:
“It is fantastic to see the progression of these four pathway players into the senior women's side. Each of them has worked incredibly hard to reach this next stage of their journey, and I cannot wait to see what they achieve next in their senior playing careers.
“To join previous cohorts of players such as Amelia MacDougall, Joia Bennett and Chloe Flanagan showcases how the pathway here at Saracens continues to produce hard working and talented individuals who can go on to play an important role within the senior side for years to come.”
