‘It was really tough’: Sadia Kabeya using injury setback as fuel

Last October, when Sadia Kabeya suffered the “devastating” injury setback that ruled her out of England’s victorious WXV 1 campaign, she vowed not to let the disappointment slow her momentum.

Kabeya had become an increasingly important cog in the Red Roses machine over the previous year, making the number six jersey her own during the Women’s Six Nations 2023 and earning a full-time contract for the first time.

But, on the eve of both a return to fitness and England’s flight to New Zealand, the troublesome hamstring that had sidelined the Loughborough Lightning flanker during the two-test series against Canada in September buckled again.

“It was really tough,” Kabeya said this week. “Not only obviously missing out on WXV, which was, you know, a huge tournament, really exciting. Obviously, the first of its kind so something that you always want to be a part of.

“But I literally did my hammy early on in pre-season, had been rehabbing up to the day of flying and then to get a setback, it was devastating really.

“Having to do the work all over again and to come back to club, where the [Allianz] cup had started, and I hadn't been in club to be able to bond with the new girls was also a challenge with rehab not being the happiest of places to be and having your friends all dotted around the world at that point in time wasn't the easiest.

“So, it came with a lot of struggles, but I actually quite enjoyed watching the girls out there in WXV perform.”

It was an experience that Kabeya is keen to use as motivation. “Especially off the back of a successful Six Nations and feeling like I was really fit, playing well, I didn’t want to let that – and still don’t want to let that – injury slow that momentum down,” she explained.

“I want to pick up where I left off, come back into Six Nations and hopefully push for another successful tournament.”

Fast forward three months and Kabeya is confident she has come through the injury “on a good side”. Certainly, her return to Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby action with Loughborough Lightning has been positive.

Kabeya made her first appearance of the season against Bristol Bears Women on 9 December, playing the first 40 minutes of a chastening 46-17 home defeat. “I remember thinking after that game, ‘Oh God, I might have a bit of a way to go here fitness-wise’,” the flanker admits.

But as the England star’s stamina has improved, so have Loughborough’s performances. Sale Sharks Women were beaten in their next match while the result against Exeter Chiefs Women remained in the balance until a late try for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 runners-up.

The new year began with a fourth defeat of the PWR season, but Kabeya and Loughborough could take heart from returning from champions Gloucester-Hartpury with a try-scoring bonus point.

“Obviously, there’s been a lot of changes in Loughborough. Nathan [Smith, head coach] has come in and he’s done a really great job of acclimatising himself to the women’s team,” Kabeya said.

“It’s only in the last three games where we've been able to show the glimpses of what we've been putting in in training, but I think there's still so much more Loughborough can do.

“We’re in a building phase right now but I think we are seeing the fruits of our labour slowly.”

Kabeya and her team-mates travel to south-west London this weekend for the first of two matches that could go a long way to determining the outlook of the rest of their season.

Like Lightning, Saturday’s hosts Harlequins have two wins and 11 points from their opening six matches, as do Trailfinders Women, who visit Loughborough on 20 January.

“It’s a bit of a mini-league at the moment,” Kabeya admitted. “Loughborough are taking this opportunity to really cement ourselves in the league and cement where we’re going.”

Kabeya’s return to fitness and form certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed by John Mitchell, the new Red Roses coach who got to work with the squad for the first time during WXV 1.

He is yet to work with the Loughborough flanker on the training pitch but has been in contact with her and the pair met in person for the first time at Twickenham last month.

“What I’ve found out about Mitch is he’s a very hands-on coach and he likes to be really involved with all the players,” Kabeya said.

“He’s a coach who likes to call you out of the blue, just to recap on games and stuff and to say that he's been watching. So, not only is he touching base with you, but you're aware that he's dedicated, he’s watching your games even when he's not there.

“I haven't actually had the pleasure of being coached by him yet, but from what I've heard from the other girls he's had a really positive effect on the team.

“He's really detail-focused, and I think for an England side who have been notoriously successful, to have more detail, more things that we can work on, is only going to do us good.”

It is not only through her feats on the rugby pitch that Kabeya hopes to inspire the next generation of female athletes.

Over the past year, her media presence has grown having written a column for the BBC, appeared on several podcasts and more recently hosted the RugbyPass TV show ‘The Girls’ Locker Room’, alongside England team-mate and friend, Maud Muir.

The show aims to tackle issues important to young female athletes, such as body image, nutrition, menstruation and confidence.

“It’s something that's very, very important to me,” Kabeya says of the show. “Obviously, rugby has brought a lot of stuff into my life; friends, a great playing experience, but also an opportunity to do stuff outside of rugby.

“Doing the podcast, doing the column in BBC, [these are] things I wouldn't have imagined to be doing a couple of years ago. But to do that, I think it's so important to use my platform to, you know, reach a new audience.

“Obviously, [The Girls’ Locker Room] is directed a lot at young girls… and young athletes coming up in the world and to see two other young girls who are at the top of their careers right now. To be sat there and to be able to be influential on a podcast like that is so important and it's also really fun to do it with one of my best mates as well.

“And the reaction's been really, really positive. I think that was one thing for me which is so important and to be able to have different avenues outside of rugby as well where I can influence has been great.”

Would a similar show have benefitted Kabeya had it been available when she was younger? “A podcast of young athletes who are going through the same things as me, have gone through the same things as me, I think would have made that journey a lot easier and I think it would have made my decision to stay in rugby, stay in sport a lot easier as well,” she said.

“I grew up playing sports and it was always a passion of mine. But there are always a lot of young girls who are on that edge, teetering whether to stay in sport or to stop playing or go down a different avenue.

“To have something like that which is so accessible, I think could be such a small thing but can make such a big change.”

Watch all episodes of Girls' Locker Room with Sadia Kabeya and Maud Muir on RugbyPass TV here.