Loughborough BUCS Super Rugby Head Coach Matt Campbell has been promoted to Lightning performance coach, focusing on backs and attack.
Campbell, who has previously coached at Edinburgh University men’s and women’s sides, joined Loughborough in 2024 and, earlier this year, went on to lead Loughborough University to a first Women’s BUCS Super Rugby title in 21 years in the final against Brunel.
In his previous role at Loughborough, Campbell led the Women’s BUCS Super Rugby programme at Loughborough as well as operating as the U23 coach with Lightning, managing the transition between the BUCS squads to the senior Lightning environment.
“I’m a naturally competitive person and am always looking to improve. Working in this environment gives me a real opportunity to do that and progress as a coach,” said Campbell.
“At Loughborough, the girls are on a similar journey, so I get to go with them on that. There are girls who have started their first senior professional contracts, and to continue that journey with them is really exciting.
As university Head Coach, Campbell took Loughborough to two Women’s BUCS Super Rugby finals and ended a 21-year drought, winning the title back in April at Rodney Parade.
Furthermore, under his tenure, countless players have progressed from the university side into the senior Lightning set-up, including Amelia Williams, Tamsin Baynes, Carmela Morrall, Lucy Calladine, Haineala Lutui and many more.
“The BUCS pathway is essential to how we operate,” Campbell continued. “Unlike the men’s professional game, which has established academy set-ups, the BUCS pathways in the women’s game across the league have naturally become those academy spaces for developing young talent.
“How important the BUCS pathway is to Lightning specifically is shown by the massive percentage of our current squad who are either current students or have come through that programme, so it’s a testament to what we’re trying to do here to develop young athletes and push them through that journey.
“The beauty of my role is recruiting players into the programme with high potential and high character and seeing them flourish and become confident players and human beings, which is a real privilege.
“When those young players start understanding what they are capable of and build confidence in themselves is so exciting.”
In his two years with the African Violets, the Loughborough programme was the most successful rugby programme in the UK across all teams in both years, and his ambitions remain just as ambitious stepping into the new role.
He added, “Top four will always be a benchmark ambition for us as a club in the JAECOO PWR, and it’s becoming harder to achieve every year, but that challenge is equally exciting for us as a group to go out and target.
“In this new role, I’ll be able to rip into a one-team weekly cycle, and that will give me more opportunity to help develop the players, as well as, from a personal standpoint, take advantage of our partnership with Saints and do more CPD and work to improve myself as a coach
“I’m still relatively new to my coaching career, so having experienced coaches around me to learn and get better from is invaluable. Nathan challenges me every day with the professional environment and as a coach, and over the last two years, that’s made a massive difference.
“And Tails, [Rachel Taylor] is not only a great coach but also a great human and will always go out of her way to help me and be that person to learn from and lean on. And of course, Scaz [Emily Scarratt], there’s a reason they call her the GOAT, she’s an awesome person and a breadth of knowledge that was incredible to work with.”
On Campbell’s promotion, Lightning Head Coach Nathan Smith said, “I appointed Matt as a replacement for Katie Trevarthen; and he’s done a great job with the BUCS programme.
“There have been some exceptional young players who have come through under his tenure from BUCS into the Lightning programme. This promotion is thoroughly deserved for the hours he puts into the role and the hard work and dedication he has shown so far, both in growing and developing as a coach and in supporting the programme as a whole.
“Matt’s been brilliant working with younger members of the squad, he gives them the time they need, understanding them and helping them develop to the best of their abilities.
“We recruit players with high potential and high character, and we want to do the exact same with our coaches. Matt got the job because he embodies that exceptionally, and I’m really excited for the next stage of his career here with Lightning.”
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