Scotland captain Rachel Malcolm

Women’s Game in Focus: Loughborough and Scotland back row Rachel Malcolm

Sarah Rendell takes a weekly look at some important women players

Loughborough Lightning back row and  captain Rachel Malcolm says the club bagging a semi-final spot is ‘phenomenal'.

Malcolm, 29, a lecturer at Trent University away from rugby, says it feels their hard work has paid off after a tough year:

“Because of Covid a lot of our international players have been away for a long period of time. So this season has been even more of a squad effort.

“Our management have been unbelievable this year in supporting us with everything they do behind the scenes.

“For us to get to the play-offs it's just as much for them as it is for us.

“The girls who have been playing in the absence of us internationals – in the and over other parts of the year where the Scotland and girls have been away – have stepped up massively.

“Some of our college girls coming through, our wider club players have been phenomenal. So from the point of view of how much work has gone into it, every single person in the squad and management, it was just happiness to get to play-offs.”

Malcolm learned her club had won a semifinal spot while she was away on Scotland Six Nations duty.

During the campaign she tore her MCL against England, but hopes to be fit for the play-off match.

“With rehab, there's a lot of boxes I have to tick to get to that moment but it's what we're aiming for,” she says.

“It's going to be tight, but I'll be doing everything in my power to make that happen.

“My aim is to get there and be fit, if not I'll be the best water girl you've ever seen!”

Lightning's opposition for the semi will be defending champions and Malcolm says the club are more than up for the challenge.

“As a player and a team there's no better opportunity to show what you're about than testing yourself against the best.

“Obviously we know Saracens are the reigning champions and have won it so many times.

Playing them away is going to be tough.

“But I have every faith in our squad to face the challenge and go down there and put in a really good performance.

“With sport you never know what's going to happen if you are the better team on the day. It's been so tight in the league so we're just excited.”