England rugby star Kabeya visits Thornton Heath – Inside Croydon

Maximum Acceleration: Sadya Kabeya in action for England

Sunday will be a bit of a homecoming for Sadia Kabeya, the standout player in England’s outstanding Grand Slam-winning women’s rugby team.

Kabeya, 22, plays flanker for Loughborough and England and was recently voted England’s Player of the Year.

But the former Harris City Academy pupil in Crystal Palace started playing rugby as a teenager at Frant Road with Streatham and Croydon RFC and will be back there this weekend to encourage the next generation of Croydon’s girls’ sporting talent.

Streatham and Croydon are holding free taster sessions for girls aged 12 to 18 on Sunday 19 May from 11am to 1pm at their ground in Thornton Heath as part of the RFU-led Love Rugby campaign.

England, with Kabeya a driving force in the forward pack, won their fifth straight Six Nations title last month with five dominant wins, averaging more than 50 points a game.

Kabeya has played for England from under-18 level, where he captained his country, before making his senior debut in 2021.

After learning the game at Streatham and Croydon, Kabeya played club rugby for Wasps and more recently was based at Loughborough and also has a regular column on the BBC Sport website.

On Sunday she will be offering the benefit of her experience and knowledge to any youngsters in Croydon who want to give rugby a try.

Read more: How the ‘Mighty’ fell: Relegation haunts rugby clubs
Read more: Old soldiers enjoy their rugby walk around Hamsey Green

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