YOUNG GUNS

LOLAWHITLEY EXETER CHIEFS LOCK/BACK ROW

LOLA Whitley went from scoring 10 tries in her first rugby match to undergoing major reconstructive surgery on her leg, but the Exeter Chiefs forward is determined to make up for lost time in the PWR. The 22-year-old spent 11 months on the sidelines after a devastating injury while representing England U20s left her unable to walk for four months.

Having subsequently swapped Gloucester-Hartpury for Exeter, the second/back row believes a fresh start has reignited her confidence and is targeting regular top flight appearances after impressing during the PWR Cup competition.

She told The Rugby Paper: “I’d like more game time and to push into the main squad. I spent a lot of time in England camp last season, which was really good for my development, but during the cup I’ve felt like I’ve been able to showcase my rugby. I’d love to take that into the Premiership this season and give both second row and back row a go at that level.”

Whitley’s sporting journey began in Essex, where she excelled in athletics before discovering rugby at 13. A friend introduced her to Sudbury, where girls from across the surrounding area had been brought together to form a team. Despite knowing virtually nothing about the sport, Whitley was thrown straight into a match and scored 10 tries.

“I started off doing athletics after progressing quite well in school competitions,” she said. “I joined a local club and competed for quite a few years, mainly in sprinting. Then one of my friends at school said her brother played rugby at Colchester and they were trying to put together a girls’ side at Sudbury. “I had no clue what rugby was. I’d only really seen my younger brother playing something like tag rugby. I got thrown straight into my first match, hit the breakdown from every wrong angle possible and probably scored tries at both ends! The referee learned my name mainly because of how many penalties I gave away. But sprinting was my strength and I was quite a big kid, so I just ran through people and scored. I loved it straight away.”

Whitley initially played wing, but her Hartpury College coaches Natasha Hunt and Harry Wilson recognised that her ball-carrying ability could be better utilised in the forwards.

She said: “I’d just gone into my second year when they told me I wasn’t progressing as far as they’d like as a back. They thought I was a powerful runner and that they could utilise that more in the forwards. I was open to anything because I just wanted game time.Harry asked me what position in the forwards I’d like to play and, for some reason, I picked second row. That’s not really changed since.”

Whitley progressed into Hartpury’s BUCS Super Rugby setup after turning 18, playing alongside Emma Sing and Sophie Bridger as the university side won the competition. Her performances also earned recognition from England’s Under-20s programme. She added: “I was lucky enough to play with the university team when I turned 18. Playing alongside those girls and winning the BUCS Super Rugby final was my biggest achievement at the time. Off the back of that, I got put forward for England Under-20s. To go from changing positions to making that squad within a year was a massive jump. It was a crazy year of rugby.”

BEN JAYCOCK