England rugby star Kabeya in return visit to Thornton Heath

Sunday will be a bit of a homecoming for Sadia Kabeya, the outstanding 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 pupil at Harris City Academy at Crystal Palace started playing rugby in her teens at Frant Road, with Streatham and Croydon RFC, and she’ll be back there this weekend to encourage the next generation of Croydon girls’ sporting talent.

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

England, with Kabeya a driving force from the forwards pack, notched up their fifth consecutive Six Nations title last month with five dominating wins, averaging more than 50 points per game.

Kabeya has been playing for England since under-18s level, where she captained her country, before making her senior debut in 2021.

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

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

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