1
Sadia Kabeya on embracing her natural hair: 'I thought ‘something needs to change here’'
By Lucy Lomax
Since November we have seen the return of Sadia Kabeya to Premiership Women’s Rugby in the back row of Loughborough Lightning's pack.
Hamstring and ankle injuries had sidelined the flanker but now she is back playing for her club, she has another mission in her sights- as a high-profile black woman in rugby she wants to use her profile to inspire young girls to embrace their natural afro hair.
“I had always wanted to go on a natural hair journey," the Red Rose told the PWR website."Especially over the past two or three years but have never stuck to it.
“But the nail in the coffin was when I got injured, I actually had my natural hair and I decided I needed to get my hair done because I felt like I needed something to make me happy and make me feel pretty.
“On reflection, I thought I needed to have extensions in my hair and braids in my hair to make me feel happy. That was the moment where I thought ‘Sadia, something needs to change here’.”
The maturity of the 18 time Test capped player coaxes you into thinking she is older than she is, but at just 22, Kabeya has become a role model to many. This is evidenced through her co-presenting role with England team mate and best friend Maud Muir on World Rugby Studio's Girls Locker Room.
As we work through the beginning weeks of 2025, Kabeya has endeavoured to wear her hair natural for the year, and is holding herself accountable by documenting it on her Instagram page.
View this post on Instagram
Kabeya told PWR: “The main thing for me is the more you speak about, the more it sparks conversations, because if you don't know, you don’t know.
“I have had really interesting conversations with people who have questions or who have friends with similar experiences. It has opened up that space to feel comfortable.
“People are from so many different areas and there are so many cultural differences, and rugby is the one thing that brings us together.
“I’m now in a place where I am more confident and feel very privileged to be in a place where I can affect younger girls watching me,” she said.
“Wearing my short hair in rugby with the scrum cap was huge for me. I only wore the scrum cap with my long hair, so I had the hair sticking out the back but now I am breaking down that barrier.
“I am wearing the scrum cap for my hair but also to help with my rugby. It doesn’t matter what it looks like, I am not here for a fashion show, but if I can wear it and feel confident in it, then someone else can see that and have the confidence to wear theirs.”
A role model on and off the pitch. You can watch Kabeya in action for Loughborough Lightning in the final three rounds of the PWR.
Highlights and matches can be watched for free on RugbyPass TV (outside of the USA, Canada, the UK and Ireland).
You can watch all episodes of Girls Locker Room with Sadia Kabeya and Maud Muir on RugbyPass TV.
Trending on RugbyPass
2
Fissler Confidential: Prem club move to ringfence Test star
3
Bulls star Willie le Roux makes U-turn on club future
4
Israel Folau to make rugby return despite mid-week Lions disappointmen
5
Latest Comments
REACH OUT TO TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY FOR A GREAT JOB
WhatsApp +15617263697
Fine wine and crypto do not always blend well, especially after a few drinks. I learned this the hard way after a record harvest at my vineyard. Swirling an old Cabernet under the stars, I was a financial connoisseur, my $720,000 Bitcoin wallet aging well for future returns. But the next morning, with a hangover as intense as my Merlion, I realized I'd forgotten my wallet password. Even worse, my recovery phrase, which I'd written down in my wine cellar notebook, had vanished. My eager new assistant had tidied up, mistaking my scribbled security notes for wine tasting spillage, and donated the entire book to the recycling gods. I dove into the garbage cans like a desperate sommelier searching for a quality grape but came up with broken dreams and soggy cardboard. Panic set in faster than cork taint. I faced the bitter truth: my digital fortune was bottled up tighter than a corked bottle with no opener. I sank into denial, questioning whether my future vineyard expansion would now be reduced to selling boxed wine. I panicked, pored over industry publications, and came across a wine industry newsletter that mentioned Tech Cyber Force Recovery. Their slogan, something playful about "decanting lost crypto," seemed like a sign from God. I contacted them, half-expecting snobbery or skepticism. What I received instead were tech wizards who tackled my case with humor and precision. Their team labored over my case like veteran sommeliers dissecting terroir. They painstakingly reconstructed transaction flows, timestamp records, and subtle wallet behavior. It was as if I was watching wine connoisseurs sniff out hints of blackcurrant and oak, but with algorithms and blockchain forensics. Each day, they provided updates with the finesse of tasting notes. “We’re detecting progress, notes of potential access, hints of password recovery on the finish.” Their creativity lightened my anxiety, and ten days later, they uncorked my digital vault. When I saw my Bitcoin balance restored, I nearly opened a bottle of my best vintage at 9 AM. My assistant and I shared a hearty laugh; he's still working for me, but now he labels my ledgers with "DO NOT TOUCH" in bold. My wine business is thriving thanks to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, and I have a new rule: passwords before Pinot. Cheers to their genius!
Go to commentsWe have to move on from last week. The team did. Chay Fihaki is playing great.Noah Hotham and outside him TahaKemara , fantastic. Tom Christie , the ultimate unsung hero, as Matt Todd was.Crisian Lio-Willie andAntonio Shalfoon , returned and showed what we missed last week.
Go to comments