‘Frightening and devastating’ was how Loughborough Lightning head coach Nathan Smith described Mae Sagapolu’s ball-carrying ability when her signature was confirmed back in June.
Those adjectives were exciting and punchy. But given how the USA international has taken to life in an African Violet shirt, they’ve proven profoundly prophetic.
The 25-year-old has brought carnage into the carry and devastation to the defence of a Lightning side that heads into their bye week where they want to be – in the Premiership Women’s Rugby top four.
Sagapolu’s geographical leap wasn’t a seismic one, as she swapped one East Midlands PWR club for another. But since ending her time with Leicester Tigers and playing her part in the Rugby World Cup for the Eagles, the 19-times capped forward is relishing an environment that is pushing her game to new levels.
“It is a group of hardworking women that just want to win,” she said, with steam rising from her body as the dust settled on the 33-33 draw with Exeter Chiefs.
“I think I’ve never been in another group where it’s just like every day we just work, in and out, in and out. And there’s so many extras being done. The work that you do when the lights are off, that is showing.”
Sagapolu’s latest shift saw her leave the field approaching the hour mark with Lightning five points adrift and with plenty of work to do. By then she had already left her mark on the game, living out her coach’s introductory words.
“The girls push me,” she said. “I think I’ve been too comfortable with my own performance, and even now, I felt like I had a decent game. But I want to be better. I want the girls to rise with me. I want to win.
“Everyone's working hard, even on the pitch when I was gassed, like I couldn’t move, I hear them talking, Mae, I need you, Mae, just take two steps, Mae, fold here, Mae, hold your feet, just look up. It’s just the culture we have. The girls know what they want and they know how to talk to me, they know how to interact me. They know how to bring me with them. So, it’s going to be a really exciting season.”
By the time Meg Davey scored the late try that Helen Nelson converted to bring the scores level one final time, Sagapolu was among the 1,500 nervous spectators inside cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens. While relief was in the air that there would be no late heartbreak to repeat Exeter’s stoppage time success from their last visit to the venue back in January, Sagapolu’s post-match assessment was reserved and anchored in ‘what might’ve been’.
“The craziest part is that we didn’t show our full potential in the first 20 minutes, and that was our game plan, like switch on as fast as we could, and then execute from there,” said the 309th woman to play international rugby for the USA.
“We didn’t get to fully showcase what Lightning is about, so that I felt very on edge, even though I was on the pitch. I felt like it was hard. Exeter is not an easy team to face, so just seeing the grit from both sides and then I think we just showed that we wanted it.”
Energy and enthusiasm exuded from the powerful front rower, despite our conversation coming some 30 minutes after the final whistle of an emotionally draining afternoon. Youngsters still lined the side of the East Stand screaming Mae’s name in the hope of grabbing a selfie, sharing a conversation or a signature. Something that she, and her Lightning teammates, were happily still obliging with even, as the house lights began to dim.
“I still feel a little nervous because I'm not used to it,” she smiled. “But just seeing so much adoration from little girls, and everyone just coming out with the cowgirl hats too, I just think it’s exciting. I think it’s nice to see that little girls like watching rugby and I like that we’re bringing more people into the sport and that’s kind of what I want.
“I just want to see women’s rugby grow and just take off.”
The next opportunity to see Sagapolu and her Lightning teammates in action is against her former club, Leicester Tigers, on Saturday 29 November at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens. Tickets are available by clicking HERE.
Why not enhance your matchday experience by booking onto the Lightning Clubhouse, where you can enjoy a locally-sourced one course meal and here from a Lightning player or coach in a pre-match Q&A session for just £24* per person! For more information and to book, please click HERE.
*£1.50 booking fee applies per person.