Three Saracens graduate from pathway programme
Jess Taylor, Erin Delea and Maisy Herbert will all join the Saracens Women's senior set-up having graduated through the club's pathway programme.
The trio join from Oaklands College having progressed through the pathway showing the strength of the club's academy system.
Erin Delea, Back Row, Oaklands College
Erin is a versatile forward who is able to play both second row and no. 8. Delea joined Oaklands after coming through the pathway at Hertfordshire PDG and playing for her local club Welwyn RFC. Since joining the Pathway Erin quickly evolved her game to become equally threatening in attack and defence, whilst also mastering her skills at the lineout to become a challenge to anyone's throw. Throughout her time with the academy she has become known for her competitive edge and always leaving everything out on the field.
On Delea, Saracens Women Rugby Pathway Lead, Niamh McHugh said:
"Erin has really progressed in her time with us at the Academy, to a point where she is ready to take that next step on the senior stage. She has really taken hold of her development, and with being a DiSE student has really utilised all of the resources available to her. The sheer dedication she has shown week in week out at the Academy has paid off and I am incredibly excited to see how she progresses on the next stage of her journey with us at Saracens".Â
Jess Taylor, Back Row, Oaklands College
Jess is an unrelenting back row player, who is tenacious in her detail, especially when it comes to the breakdown. She joined the Academy from the Eastern Counties PDG pathway, whilst representing her local club, Ipswich. Relocating to Oaklands College to pursue a student athlete career, Jess took advantage of every opportunity presented to her. Her unwavering dedication to improve saw Jess achieve international honors in the 2025 U18 Six Nations for England, proving herself at the highest level. During her time at the Academy, Jess evolved to become a natural leader in the group and in her final year co-captained the side to its most successful season to date.
Assistant Coach, Lewis Sones praised Jess for her attitude towards the game:
"Jess has been immensely impressive over the past 2 years with our Oaklands college academy, her natural leadership saw her captain the U18s in the ACE competition last year and this was acknowledged by her representing the England U18s group in April’s Six nations
And Exciting back rower who can play 6/7, and great operater in the Line-out, Jess is a very bright talent on and off the field, we are excited to see her make the transition into our senior environment for the coming year while she continues her studies with Hertfordshire Uni."
Maisy Herbert, Scrum Half, Oaklands College
Known for her electric pace and footwork which gets her out of any situation, Maisy is an exciting scrum-half who is yet to reach her full potential. She moved to Oaklands College to pursue a life in the Academy, taking advantage of the residential offering available, and in turn has fully embraced being a student athlete. Recognised on the international stage for Wales at U17, Maisy has already began to build a reputation for someone who is one to watch. In her final year with the academy, she became a significant leader within the group, co-captaining the side, and led by example in her dedication and work rate both on and off the field.
McHugh is delighted to see Herbert graduate into the senior squad:
Oaklands continues this fine tradition of developing and preparing players to thrive in elite environments. The alumni include some incredible players and what is exciting is the potential of those coming through.
The work of Niamh, Sarah and the rest of the staff continues to be the bedrock of Saracens future. The work Lewis continues to do coordinating our player pathway and working with our key partners in establishing a bespoke personalised routes that combine education, work and rugby is outstanding. Reaching out to new organisations and institutes to ensure every players is given the tools not just on the field but for future career away from rugby.
I am very excited to see what this latest group can go on and achieve."
