Women's Pathway Round-Up

The start of the new year at Oaklands College has been a whirlwind of excitement for the Academy, from welcoming a new cohort of players from across the country, to new facilities being built on site – most notably our new sports pavilion, there has never been a better time to be a part of the Academy!

Kicking off with preseason, we welcomed our largest cohort of players to date and finished our preparations off with a fixture vs Worthing which really set the standard for the season ahead. With this new season and being a part of the two highest college leagues in the country, games started to come thick and fast. Within the RFU ACE league, Oaklands secured an opening round victory against Henley, but have since progressed through a series of tightly fought matches with the standard of performance ever-growing, narrowly missing out by a score in the last outing against Hartpury. In respect to the AOC league, Oaklands have started strongly, winning the opening fixture, and are looking forward to the next two fixtures where the hope is to top the table going into the Christmas break!

Outside of team performances, there have been a series of individual success stories, recognising the dedication that the players and staff put into the programme. Eight players were selected to trial for the England squad, as well as a further two trialists for Scotland, with 19 players selected for the RFU PDG squads. The success which these players have had is something we are incredibly proud of, and we are looking forward to seeing their next steps in the international arena!

Following the theme of success, it is also fantastic to see the number of pathway players who have represented the senior Saracens side so far this season, with Amelia MacDougall, Joia Bennet, Daisy Fitzgerald, Chloe Flanagan, May Goulding, Lucy Biggs and Lucy Lawford-Wilby all gaining experience in the PWR. Seeing the progression of these players is truly an inspiration and showcases the success of the Academy in producing the next generation of Saracens stars.

You can find out more about the Saracens Women’s Academy by following @saracensace on Instagram and if you have ambitions to play at the elite end of the game, or know someone who is, then make sure you come along to the next open day on the 19^th February! More information can be found on our socials and the Saracens website.