Loughborough Lightning are now a team to be feared by their Premiership Women’s Rugby rivals.
That is the view of hooker Kathryn Treder, who has been on the journey with the African Violets throughout the entirety of head coach Nathan Smith’s tenure, which began in the summer of 2023.
Treder joined Lightning following the regime change, as the club sought to rebuild after finishing eighth in the 2022/23 Premiership Women’s Rugby table.
Four of Lightning’s five victories in that campaign came against the league’s distant bottom two sides, Wasps and DMP Sharks – with Treder herself twice lining up for the latter against her future employers during her first season of English club rugby.
Since making the switch to the East Midlands, the USA international has remained a near‑constant presence on a Lightning PWR teamsheet across the 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 campaigns, clocking up 40 appearances and scoring an impressive 24 tries along the way.
During that time, she has played key roles in memorable victories that have helped raise expectations internally, as well as how the team is perceived from outside heading into Sunday’s trip to face Trailfinders (kick-off: 12.15pm).
“A few years ago, we would have seen ourselves, and been seen by other people, as underdogs,” said the 30‑year‑old. “In my first season here, we weren’t really vying for a top‑four spot. We were competitive and by no means the worst, but over the years we have come to see ourselves as a top‑four team.
“Last season we caused a couple of upsets against Bristol Bears and Saracens. They were games we went into not necessarily thinking we would win, but we did come out on top. Wins like that gave us a lot of confidence going into this season. We are a top‑four team and that is part of our identity and who we can be.
With three rounds of the PWR season remaining, Lightning are just five points adrift of the play‑off places. They became only the second team this season to take more than one point from three‑time defending champions Gloucester‑Hartpury in last weekend’s 38-43 defeat at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.
A full five‑point haul and ending the table‑toppers’ 23‑game winning run was tantalisingly within reach. Sadly for the hosts, it wasn’t to be. Now the dust has settled, Treder is focusing on the positives building into the trip to West London.
“At first it was pretty heartbreaking to have a win like that pretty much within our grasp until the final few minutes,” she said. “You can’t help but think how it would’ve been, what it would’ve felt like.
“I think now we have had some time to digest it, you can’t help but think about how much confidence you gain from being that close to beating them. To have the capabilities within our team to take a team like Gloucester to the final few minutes. I think at least we have shown a few teams how a team like Gloucester can be beaten and how to put points on them.”
The only other side to take two points from the Cherry‑and‑Whites is this weekend’s opponents, Trailfinders Women, who were narrowly beaten 29-28 at Kingsholm Stadium in December 2025.
A victory at Trailfinders Sports Club would see Nathan Smith’s side leapfrog their hosts in the table and take the chase for a top‑four spot into the concluding two rounds of the season that come after the two‑month international break — which will see Treder trade African Violet for the dark blue of the USA as they launch into their Pacific Four fixtures against New Zealand, Canada and Australia.
The reverse fixture with Trailfinders in Northampton before Christmas proved to be a firecracker of a game, with Fancy Bermudez’s stoppage‑time try and a Helen Nelson conversion tying the contest at 29-29.
Treder is eagerly anticipating round two of this intriguing head‑to‑head.
“It’s always a great game with Trailfinders,” she said. “The last two games we’ve played at cinch Stadium went down to the wire and I am sure Sunday is going to be another amazing game too. I am excited for it.”