Loughborough Lightning’s all-time leading appearance maker Meg Davey has signed a contract extension with the club.
The 24-year-old became only the second player in Lightning history to make 100 appearances when she followed in Katie Trevarthen’s footsteps in hitting triple figures away against Saracens in November 2024.
Her first outing in an African Violet shirt came as a 17-year-old against Richmond in November 2017, and the scrum-half has subsequently moved onto an unsurpassed 109 outings, and was an ever-present in Lightning’s matchday squads during the 2024/25 campaign.
Following the departure of Lightning original Rachel Malcolm (#006), Davey (#035) is now the second longest-serving player remaining with only Cath O’Donnell (#028) making her debut before her.
“I’ve hit a lot of goals on a personal level, and hitting 100 appearances was a big one,” said Davey. “That was a milestone I’ll never forget and it was amazing to do it with the players that were around me. And to finish really strongly as a group that felt really good as well.
“My calmness in games has really developed and my fitness overall has improved too. It’s so much easier to play when you are fit and Nathan [Smith, head coach] has definitely pushed me, physically, to be the best player I can be.
“This year feels like one where I have found my groove a little bit more with the girls. The way we are playing at the moment, I’ve really enjoyed and I definitely feel like I kicked on during the season.”
Davey, who can also operate as a fly-half, has been at Lightning throughout their partnership with Northampton Saints, and is looking forward to a third campaign of playing all Lightning’s home Premiership Women’s Rugby games art cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens – click HERE for more information on Season Tickets, which are on sale now!
“There are some amazing stadiums in the league, but there is just something about cinch Stadium, the atmosphere that the fans drive, and how much effort gets put into everything like running out with the mascots.”
Meg Davey
“It feels really special and sometimes at the end of the game, if you have had a hard loss, it’s nice when you go and speak to some of the fans and they make your day when you’ve had a hard game. I love home games, and personally the best reason for that is because of the fans.”
Lightning have already announced the re-signings of Sadia Kabeya, Krissy Scurfield, Kendall Waudby and Bo Westcombe-Evans and head coach Nathan Smith was delighted to add Davey to that list.
“MJ’s achievements speak for themselves in terms of her remarkable amount of appearances for someone who is still so young,” Smith said. “What we saw with MJ during the 2024/25 season was a lot of growth in her game. And that’s what I want in my squad, players who are still hungry to grow and develop, whether they have no Lightning appearances to their name or more than a 100 in MJ’s case.
“I look forward to working with her again in the 2025/26 season and seeing how far she can develop her game in what is such a pivotal position in rugby union.”
