‘Now I have muscles I look in the mirror and think, you’re pretty cool’
A YOUNG GIRL'S DREAM to make rugby her career is now a reality for England star SADIA KABEYA, and she doesn’t plan on wasting any time. By Nick Heath
Kabeya’s meteoric rise saw her play at Richmond, then Wasps, before joining Loughborough Lightning, where she plays alongside England captain Sarah Hunter in the top English league. She was first paid to play rugby aged 18 and exemplifies the new generation of women players where a fully paid career is a real option.
“I’ve had some game time with England. I’ve started looking towards my future and this is definitely something I want to do. I mean, it’s going quite well, I think it’s fair to say.”
“I didn’t think it would happen this quickly. This time last year, if someone had mentioned international rugby for England, I would have laughed.
Even after preseason last year, the coaches said to all the new players, ‘Aim for New Zealand!’ and I remember thinking, ‘Yeah… yeah’. So, to even be here now it’s crazy. I'm just trying to take it in my stride, even though it’s going very, very fast.”
The dream career
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Rugby’s a game for all. There are so many shapes and sizes and you’re encouraged to be strong.
That journey into rugby became a key part of how Kabeya turned around her body confidence.
“Rugby’s a game for all. There are so many shapes and sizes and you’re encouraged to be strong. You’re encouraged to be the best version of yourself that you can. If that’s you lifting a hundred kilograms in the gym, that’s you lifting a hundred kilograms in the gym.
Powering body positivity
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I'm just trying to take it in my stride, even though it’s going very, very fast.
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Kabeya is known for her tough tackling and big defensive performances. It’s a playing style that the England head coach has compared to the former England flanker and now Telegraph columnist and broadcaster, Maggie Alphonsi.
“When I first started playing, I was encouraged to go and watch rugby games. While watching and researching, obviously Maggie’s name came up. Hearing her commentate on games, to see her career and what a wrecking ball of a player she was, I knew that that was the place I wanted to go. I wanted to have traits that she had, so she was always someone I looked up to.”
Their playing style are not the only similarities Kabeya and Alphonsi share. As a fellow person of colour, Kabeya is keen to shine the spotlight on the number of black players in the game.
A move to Wasps happened around the same time as the tragic death of George Floyd and the subsequent Black Lives Matter movement. Her new club was keen to platform the voices of those most affected by it and they held a Zoom call to speak about their experiences.
Acceptance and aiming for the moon
“It wasn't until then that I thought, ‘Even though I'm different in the sport, people want to hear from me. They want to listen to me. They want me to be myself.’ And I think that was a big changing moment for me. Now I feel very accepting of myself and having someone like Shaunagh Brown in camp as well has helped. I’m in a good place now.”
Kabeya’s age and achievements, coupled with the speed of growth and interest in the women’s game, provides great excitement for both her future and the future of the game.
“I think you can only aim for the moon. And I want to be right at the forefront of that. If I can drive it by going back to grassroots and encouraging people to come through the pathway – to just go and play a bit of rugby and see where it leads them, I want to be right in there.
“This is the best time to jump into rugby, right now. If I can be someone who can help it on its way, I’m gonna do that.”
During the first two years of secondary school, Kabeya met Bryony Cleall, who took a job as the school PE teacher and went on to set up the girls rugby academy there. Cleall was in her mid-20s, and on her own journey with Saracens and England.
It was Cleall’s encouragement and the front row seat Kabeya had to watch her teacher’s progression that gave her the power to dream. Cleall went on to win her first England cap in the 2019 Women’s Six Nations.
“I think she was huge in giving me the drive to progress and go up through the pathway because, for me, international rugby was never initially even a dream. It was never on my cards. To have someone come in who was actually in the England pathway at the time was huge.
“To see Bryony eventually get her first cap for the Red Roses while she was working at the school, to see that right in front of me and see how happy she was, that was very cool. Having someone so close to me and someone who was also encouraging me to go outside, join a Premier 15s club telling me that I can do this. She was a huge, huge person in my rugby journey.”
The drive to progress
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Elder siblings often have a lot to answer for in the history of the England women’s rugby team. Danielle Waterman, Ceri Large and Emily Scarratt have all spoken of how they followed their elder brothers to the local club when they started their rugby journeys. The same is true of Loughborough Lightning’s Sadia Kabeya.
Kabeya grew up in Crystal Palace in south London, the middle child sandwiched between two brothers. “My family are sporty, especially my older brother Theodore – he did gymnastics from a young age. And as soon as I was able to go to gymnastics, I followed in his footsteps. And as soon as he quit, I quit. So, I was literally just following him.
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when I got into secondary school, I got into athletics, and I thought I was going to be a sprinter
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From her Red Roses debut just 10 months ago, 20-year-old Sadia Kabeya is just getting started. From using her power on the pitch to pursuing the power of her dreams, the tough-tackling England flanker believes women’s rugby must aim for the moon.
“Then when I got into secondary school, I got into athletics, and I thought I was going to be a sprinter. They told me, ‘You're not gonna be a sprinter’. So, I went into shot put and hammer. Those were my sports for a couple of years until I found rugby.”
Having set county records in shot put, Kabeya’s inner fire was burning. She had a large friendship group and was gaining confidence as she put in strong performances while competing outside of school.
“We were all sporty. My friends all encouraged me. I think I was very, very confident, especially within athletics. You need to be because in an individual sport you’ve got to back yourself. You’ve got to think you can be the best.
“But off the field, my confidence was not there so much. I think my relationship with becoming an athlete and my body changing and having to go to the gym meant my confidence was not where it is now. It was very much through the floor. But when I went out and competed, you wouldn’t know that.”
Sadia Kabeya as an England schoolgirl with elder brother Theodore
The Telegraph and Honda (England Rugby’s Performance Partner) are inspiring future generations to play rugby and grow the women’s game.
The creation of the Telegraph Honda Rugby Legacy Fund, will help grassroots clubs across the country achieve their ambitions.
For more information, visit tgr.ph/legacyfund
Paid for by
Telegraph Media Group Creative Director: Jonathan Clayton-Jones, Picture Editor: Alex Kelly, Commissioning Editor: Jim Bruce-Ball, Words: Nick Heath, Sub Editor: Tim Cumming, Project Manager: Jason Desir, Web Editor: Caroline Stacey
Image credits: Getty
During the first two years of secondary school at Harris City Academy in Croydon, Kabeya met Bryony Cleall, who took a job as the school PE teacher and went on to set up the girls rugby academy there. Cleall was in her mid-20s, and on her own journey with Saracens and England.
It was Cleall’s encouragement and the front row seat Kabeya had to watch her teacher’s progression that gave her the power to dream. Cleall went on to win her first England cap in the 2019 Women’s Six Nations.
“I think she was huge in giving me the drive to progress and go up through the pathway because, for me, international rugby was never initially even a dream. It was never on my cards. To have someone come in who was actually in the England pathway at the time was huge.
“To see Bryony eventually get her first cap for the Red Roses while she was working at the school, to see that right in front of me and see how happy she was, that was very cool. Having someone so close to me and someone who was also encouraging me to go outside, join a Premier 15s club telling me that I can do this. She was a huge, huge person in my rugby journey.”
The drive to progress
Kabeya (far left, back row) with her Harris City Academy team-mates in Croydon and (below) enjoying life with England U18s with Maud Muir
Sadie with her aunt Jasmine, uncle Spencer, brother Gabriel and mum Lisa
“I remember I used to hate having big shoulders or looking in the mirror and feeling like I was masculine. Now I have muscles and I look in the mirror and I think yeah, you’re pretty cool.”
Female body image is an area where strong role models can be both championed and vilified. Former Red Roses star Kat Merchant regularly posts on social media about the trolling she receives as she enjoys life as a personal trainer and in developing a strong, muscular physique.
So how does Kabeya view her role in offering a positive body image of strength to young women?
“I remember when I first came to uni, we were going out to clubs. I wanted to cover my arms. But now I put on a tank top and I feel super confident. I want other girls to be able to feel that way. So yes, I think when I do move away from rugby, I do want to be that advocate and be that person that people can look up to, especially for body positivity.”
“I remember I used to hate having big shoulders or looking in the mirror and feeling like I was masculine. Now I have muscles and I look in the mirror and I think yeah, you’re pretty cool.”
Female body image is an area where strong role models can be both championed and vilified. Former Red Roses star Kat Merchant regularly posts on social media about the trolling she receives as she enjoys life as a personal trainer and in developing a strong, muscular physique.
So how does Kabeya view her role in offering a positive body image of strength to young women?
“I remember when I first came to uni, we were going out to clubs. I wanted to cover my arms. But now I put on a tank top and I feel super confident. I want other girls to be able to feel that way. So yes, I think when I do move away from rugby, I do want to be that advocate and be that person that people can look up to, especially for body positivity.”