Eight Loughborough Lightning players have been included in the first England U21 Women’s training squad of the season.
Head coach LJ Lewis and assistant coach Sarah McKenna have included forwards Amelia Williams, Tamsin Baynes, Lucy Calladine and Keevy Fitzpatrick along with backs Ashton Adcock, Carmela Morrall and Ellen Scantlebury for their 34-player squad that will assemble today in the East Midlands for a three-day meeting.
As of the 2025/26 campaign, Lewis’ side will now operate as an U21 age-grade with the ability to call in up to five U23 players. The move is to enable a longer opportunity to support the development of more U18 graduates and a general wider player pool entering their adult rugby journey in an international environment.
Baynes, who made her senior Lightning debut during this summer’s PWR: The Cup campaign, is included in Lewis’ set-up for the first time, while Scantlebury is named in her first pathway camp squad having recently represented Great Britain along with Adcock in the recent SVNS Series weekends in Dubai and Cape Town as well as the England Students side in the summer.
Across the week, Lewis and McKenna will be supported by Red Roses coaches Louis Deacon, Sarah Hunter and Andy Holloway, alongside Emily Scarratt and U18 coaches James Cooper, Ollie Perry and Benny Williams.
Lewis said: “We’re incredibly excited to be moving into a new chapter for the women’s pathway as we take inspiration from the Red Roses winning the World Cup. Sarah [McKenna] and I are looking forward to seeing which players demonstrate leadership and courage, putting their hands up to become a potential future Red Rose and work towards retaining the next Rugby World Cup.
“This camp will align our pathway framework, professional behaviours and standards with a talented group, which includes some exciting additions from inside the pathway and BUCS Super Rugby.
“Within this framework, we’re aiming to play at speed with world-class skills to attack best space, maintain a ruthless mentality to get the ball back in defence and form a solid basis for a dominant set-piece.
“We strive to continue to develop players’ physicality by creating as many winning moments as possible, with or without the ball, underpinned by the players’ athletic ability to consistently showcasing the game of the future.”
England U21 Women’s December camp squad
(includes club, community club and previous U20 caps)
Forwards
Jasmine Adonri (Trailfinders Women, Dartford Valley Rugby Club, 3 caps)
Tamsin Baynes (Loughborough Lightning, Market Harborough RFC, uncapped)
Joia Bennett (Saracens, Old Albanian RFC, 7 caps)
Lucy Calladine (Loughborough Lightning, Burton Rugby Football Club, 9 caps)
Keevy Fitzpatrick (Loughborough Lightning, Sudbury RFC, 2 caps)
Zara Green (Harlequins, Lewes RFC, 2 caps)
Haidee Head (Trailfinders Women, Easts Tigers Rugby Union, uncapped)
Grace Keel (Harlequins, North Bristol, uncapped)
Hayley Jones (Trailfinders Women, Ealing Trailfinders, uncapped)
Haineala Lutui (Loughborough Lightning, Worcester RFC, 2 caps)
Sophie McQueen (Gloucester-Hartpury, Chippenham RFC, 3 caps)
Annabel Meta (Trailfinders Women, Wimbledon RFC, 5 caps)
Maddy Page (Harlequins, Buckingham RFC, 2 caps)
Lilly Plowman (Exeter Chiefs, Crediton RFC, 2 caps)
Demelza Short (Bristol Bears, Crediton RFC, uncapped)
Jodie Verghese (Saracens, Thurrock RFC, uncapped)
Amelia Williams (Loughborough Lightning, Medway RFC, 10 caps)
Ellie Wilson (Gloucester-Hartpury, Gosford All Blacks, uncapped)
Ruby Winstanley (Harlequins, Guildfordians RFC, uncapped)
Backs
Ashton Adcock (Loughborough Lightning, Tamworth, 1 cap)
Molly Bunker (Gloucester-Hartpury, Havant RFC, 2 caps)
Isabelle Clist (Loughborough University, Cullompton, uncapped)
Ella Cromack (Harlequins, Reading RFC, 7 caps)
Nikki Davenhill (Hartpury University, Evesham RFC, uncapped)
Maddie Flutey (Exeter Chiefs, Otago University RFC, uncapped)
Millie Hyett (Gloucester-Hartpury, Evesham RFC, 8 caps)
Jemma-Jo Linkins (Saracens, Ashford RFC, uncapped)
Carmela Morrall (Loughborough Lightning, Dubai Hurricanes, 7 caps)
Abigail Pritchard (Gloucester-Hartpury, Medway RFC, uncapped)
Ellen Scantlebury (Loughborough Lightning, Winscombe RFC, uncapped)
Solana Shaw de Leon (Harlequins, Sutton and Epsom, uncapped)
Hannah Smyth (Gloucester-Hartpury, Kettering Rugby Club, uncapped)
Grace White (Trailfinders Women, Winscombe RFC, 1 cap)
Eva Wood (Sale Sharks, Old Halesonians RFC, 2 caps)