Loughborough Lightning lock Kaya Acton believes that the African Violet need to put in a performance they can be proud of this weekend as they make the long journey down to the South West.
Lightning have struggled to get results so far in their opening fixtures of the JAECOO Next Gen Cup, following defeats to Sale Sharks and Saracens; however, this weekend they will look to right those wrongs as they head to Sandy Park on Saturday (kick-off: 3pm).
“I think the Saracens result was just one of those games that you can pick apart, and you try to find excuses for yourself, but sometimes it just happens,” Acton explained.
“We fronted up and played against a very experienced side, a team that had 16 players who regularly play in the PWR.
“I know it’s cliché to say that the scoreline doesn’t performance, but I genuinely think that we showed some really exciting stuff that we can’t wait to show again this weekend and the rest of our games.
“I think one of our main things this weekend is not to give up. People often try to use the distance and how far they have to go to Exeter as an excuse. But I think we need to come away from that game with no excuses, front up, Exeter’s always a physical game and one that we always love playing in.
“It always comes down to that grit, so I think that we’ve put play with heart, but also show them what we’re about physically, and just maintain the ball and show them that we can be dangerous in attack as well.”
In the opening two fixtures of the JAECOO Next Gen Cup, interim Head Coach Rachel Taylor has already handed out eight debuts across the two matchday squads in order to bleed in vital experience at the senior level for players coming through Lightning’s BUCS pathway.
“I think it's a major credit to Matt [Campbell] and everyone who works behind the scenes in the BUCS programme,” Acton continued.
“Girls are coming into this senior Lightning environment like this, where it’s highly competitive, and you’re not just competing against other University students but the best in the country.
“It shows real depth in the squad with so many internationals away, and for our youngsters and debutantes to come up and come in and put up a fight that they have been doing already, just shows how strong that depth is.”
Acton arrived at Loughborough in 2024 and commenced training for the university side as well as with Lightning. In the first half of her first game for Loughborough University, she tore her ACL and was out of action for a year and a day.
After five games playing BUCS Super Rugby and fully reintegrated back in the Lightning squad, the second row/back row was selected in the squad to face Gloucester Hartpury at Kingsholm Stadium in February 2026, where she made her Lightning debut and went on to play a further three times last season.
“This season, I really want to make a name for myself in the league and be consistently in that fight for selection,” she added. “It’s my last year at Uni, so I really want to put my hand up and prove that I’m ready to fight week in week out.”
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