Hibbert-Jones: ‘What Ives Campion has achieved at her age is incredible’

Daisy Hibbert-Jones heaped praise on teammate Lilli Ives Campion as the pair of young English forwards are both in-line to achieve personal appearance milestones this weekend.

If selected to face Gloucester-Hartpury at Kingsholm Stadium on Saturday, number eight Hibbert-Jones, aged 22, will hit 50 competitive outings in an African Violet shirt. She is likely to do so alongside lock Ives Campion – who is set to make her 50th Premiership Women’s Rugby appearance.

Despite being aged only 21, Ives Campion already has 62 Lightning appearances to her name and followed Hibbert-Jones in being capped at senior international level after making her debut for the Red Roses against France in the Autumn – also at Kingsholm Stadium.

“Lilli is still a very young player so to be able to achieve what she has at such a young age is incredible, it shows just how exciting her future is going to be both domestically but also on the international stage,” said Lightning co-captain Hibbert-Jones. 

“She won’t mind me saying this, but Lilli is an absolute line out nausea, that is where she enjoys leading from the most. She has been our line out leader for the majority of the time that I’ve been here and that is where she thrives and that is where she has her most success. 

“There’s a few of them here, and Lilli is one of them, who will openly say she loves playing second row. It is her love for the game that has got her to where she is today. 

“Like myself she has undergone a lot of physical changes to her body to be able to allow her to play at that international level and to play the rugby that she is playing, at this age. Sometimes it’s not your skill level that holds you back, it is just your size. Which is pretty rubbish to hear but she has taken it on the chin and she has managed to have a pretty big transformation in such a short period of time which is only going to help springboard her into the future.”

Hibbert-Jones’ own physical transformation has been a contributing factor to her overcoming an injury-hit start to her career. Aged only 17 and with one of her former clubs Sale Sharks, she suffered a devastating ACL injury that required reconstructive surgery.

The Birkenhead native moved to Lightning in 2022, and despite requiring further surgery to an ankle injury during her time in the Midlands, she has become a consistent presence in the starting line-up.

Her outing in the 22-17 victory over Saracens last time out was her 23rd consecutive start in league and cup action, placing her on the cusp of a half-century of appearances in just two-and-a-half seasons.

“All that I wanted and all that I was desperate for was to just be on the pitch and to stay fit,” reflected the number eight. “It felt that every so often I was getting these niggles that were the limiting factors with me being on the pitch and it wasn’t necessarily the rugby, it was that my body couldn’t keep fit enough to keep me on the pitch.

“I have undone a lot of gym work, rehabilitation and progression in terms of my physicality. We set out in the preseason to gain a bit of muscle mass. I think that can be scary at times but actually it has helped me massively and it has made me more physical. 

“My body is more capable of being physical with these players in the Premiership. I am proud to stay fit for that many games on the run to be able to put myself up for selection. That’s the stuff you do off the pitch and away from the rugby that can be forgotten about or can be the chore because we all just love playing rugby, but that is what has allowed me to stay fit and on the field.”

Such is the integral role she has played under the guidance of head coach Nathan Smith, Hibbert-Jones was appointed co-captain alongside Rachel Malcolm entering the current campaign.

She has been at the heart of every up and down of the 2024/25 season, and played a prominent role in the club’s first-ever victory over Saracens last weekend at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.

It was a result that the back row forward felt was a long time coming.

“We know we have the capabilities to beat a top four side,” she said. “We have come close quite a few times, so to start the new year with a bang and go and beat Saracens which Lightning has never done before, I don’t think we could be in a better place to start the year and I am so excited and proud of the girls. 

With momentum firmly with them, Lightning travel to Kingsholm Stadium on Saturday to take on the two-time defending PWR champions. 

Challenges in the women’s game do not come much sterner than Gloucester-Hartpury on their own pitch – a fixture that will be followed by taking on the team they defeated in the 2022/23 final, Exeter Chiefs, back at cinch Stadium on Sunday 19 January.

“We have got a tough run in,” said Hibbert-Jones. “We know that we can’t just beat Saracens and be satisfied. We have to go up another level. We have previewed what we are going to come up against and we’re really excited for the opportunity. 

“The energy in the camp over the first two weeks of this New Year has been incredible. The girls are just bouncing off each other and there’s so much positive energy going forward. The belief has just sky-rocketed in terms of what the girls believe they are capable of doing.”