Loughborough Lightning prop Isla Curphey knows a thing or two about how to put building blocks in the right place as she embarks on her first season as a graduate.
Curphey is becoming an increasingly important member of the Lightning squad after enjoying a fine end to the 2023/24 campaign.
She balanced her time on the pitch with completing her degree in Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying at Loughborough University, and now balances a job as a quantity surveyor alongside packing down in purple.
“I got drawn to working in construction through working with my dad,” said Curphey, who grew up on the Isle of Man. “We built farming sheds for animals and horse arenas and things like that.
“I got into it fairly young. I must have been about 12 or 13 helping build, driving tractors and things. I really enjoyed it.
“I went through school and didn't really know what I wanted to do, and then did A levels and failed, and then decided to go to college for construction and because that’s what I enjoyed at home and at work.”
Quantity surveyor and Lightning prop 🧱
— Loughborough Lightning Rugby ⚡️ (@LightningRugby) October 3, 2024
Isla Curphey is #PoweredDifferently
Curphey’s dual-career story is one of nine being told this week as part of a new ‘Powered Differently’ campaign by Premiership Women's Rugby, focusing on just a few superhuman players across the league.
Alongside Curphey, the campaign features players like nurse Carys Cox at Trailfinders Women, tattoo artist Amber Schonert at Sale Sharks and marine conservation student Freya Aucken at Harlequins.
Curphey is not short of ambition in rugby and is hellbent on one day representing England on the international stage.
These aspirations are sustained by her work off the pitch, providing extra financial resources to keep her dreams of sporting success alive and healthy.
“Just to be able to sustain rugby in reality motivates me, because obviously in women's rugby, it’s not as high level as we’d like it to be with funding and things, so I’m able to assist that so that I can then do my best at rugby,” she added.
“In my free time I’ll work to be able to make sure that I’m able to concentrate and really do rugby full-time and can spend all the time that I need to at training.”
Isla Curphey
Curphey also sees her job away from the pitch as incredibly valuable for her wellbeing, providing her with an escape from the high-octane environment that surrounds elite sport.
“I do believe having something externally from rugby is good for you,” she added. “I feel like rugby is an escape, but also with the level that we train at, sometimes you need an escape from the rugby, just to relax.
“Working takes your mind off things but then with the rugby, it also takes your mind off the work so they work really cohesively together.
“You also never know what's going to happen. You don't want to rely on the rugby and then maybe get injured - anything can happen so being able to have that career that you can then go into to be able to live a life.”
Lightning kick off their 2024/25 Premiership Women’s Rugby season against Bristol Bears at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday 5 October (kick-off: 3pm) – tickets are still available priced from just £7.50* adults and £3 juniors by clicking HERE.
