‘I was confused and shocked!’ said Amelia Williams, reflecting on being named Saints Supporters Club Lightning Player of the Season.
Not that the 21-year-old needed to spell out her emotions – they were written all over her face as she was announced as the winner on the pitch after Loughborough Lightning’s Premiership Women’s Rugby Round 17 defeat to Saracens at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.
Her humble reaction was drowned out by the cheers of teammates, coaches, and the supporters who voted for her.
All Lightning players who featured in five games or more across the league and cup campaign were eligible for the honour. By some distance, it was the England U21 international whose name was engraved onto the trophy after supporters cast their votes via lightningrugby.co.uk.
“It was quite exciting,” she continued. “It’s exciting for me as a young player, knowing my name is getting out there with the fans.
“There are two big names on that trophy in Daisy [Hibbert-Jones] and Sadia [Kabeya]! I’ve been in and out with injury this season, but I just try to bring the energy whenever I can.”
Never was that more evident than on the opening night of the 2025/26 PWR season when, under the glare of the BBC cameras, she scored a remarkable try from inside her own half against Harlequins.
Reflecting on that moment seven months on, she said: “I feel like it was one of those moments you don’t realise is actually happening.
“It was such a training move – we work on making line breaks like that all the time – then it actually happened! I didn’t know what to do. It was just a credit to what the girls can put out there. Without the girls around me, I wouldn’t have been able to do something like that. It really set my season up.”
Having played a leading role in PWR: The Cup before the league campaign began, Williams featured in three more games after that magical moment in London before a wrist injury required surgery and ruled her out for three months.
She remained in the spotlight, however. She returned for England U21 – with whom she has now earned an impressive 13 caps – and then starred for Loughborough University, playing a pivotal role in their first BUCS Super Rugby Milk Championship success in her lifetime. In the 45–5 final win over Brunel, she was named Player of the Match after scoring a first-half hat-trick.
Five players [Williams, Keevy Fitzpatrick, Aoibhe Kelly, Kaya Acton and Grace Clifford] who featured in that final were involved against Saracens on Sunday, while other current students who might have played – such as Lilli Ives Campion, Becky Boyd, Haineala Lutui and Carmela Morrall, Helena Rowland and Sadia Kabeya – were being kept busy in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations.
“We’ve always had a few BUCS players in matchday squads throughout the season, but this year has really been a credit to the BUCS programme,” added Williams. “Girls are coming in and playing in quarter-finals, then we’re training for Lightning on our weeks off, then some are away with the U21s – it just shows the development of the programme.
Williams arrived as a second-half replacement on Sunday, and it was her alertness from an overthrown Saracens lineout with the clock in the red that saw her gather and finish to secure Lightning a bonus point – which could prove valuable in determining their final league position.
It also gave a strong crowd at cinch Stadium one last cheer on a special day on and off the pitch, marking PWR’s Big Pink Weekend in support of Breast Cancer Now.
“It was really special seeing so many people wearing the new bespoke shirt!” said Williams, referencing the GRS Group-sponsored pink kit Lightning wore for the occasion.
“The amount of fans that came shows that we’re really growing. Especially at the end of the season, people still want to come and see us. I want to say thank you to the fans for coming, cheering us on, and wanting to speak to us.”