Cambridge University Women's Rugby Team




Angelina Munabi

Fiona Gillanders

Vicky McEvoy

Bryony Coombs

Charlotte Browning

Bridget Hipwell

Samantha Graham

Claire Davis

Steph Leddington

Tia Knight

Julie Valade

Lizi McLoughlin

Jess Gurney


Player Profiles

Get to know some of our players here - from girls who have played rugby since they could walk to those of us who took it up when we got to University.



Angelina Munabi

Nickname: Ange

Course of study at Cambridge: Engineering

College: Murray Edwards

Position: Wing

Angelina Munabi

How got into rugby: A friend in the year above pretty much dragged me along as soon as I got to Cambridge and I never looked back.

Other sports: I'm generally not that sporty, at least, I wasn't before I caught the rugby bug! Love going for runs though.

Rugby idol: Bryan Habana, Benji Marshall

Best on pitch rugby moment:Smashing Oxford as part of the second team during Varsity 2011.

Best off pitch rugby moment: Too many to pick one!


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Fiona Gillanders

Nickname: Gilly

Course of study at Cambridge: Engineering

College: Queens

Position: Inside Centre

Fiona Gillanders

How got into rugby: Fetish for odd shaped balls... seemed the natural sport to take up

Other sports: Rowing, lacrosse, netball, football... anything

Rugby idol: Gavin Hastings

Best on pitch rugby moment:Stealing a ball in a lineout - Varsity 2012

Best off pitch rugby moment:Earning the nickname Lady of Spice!


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Vicky McEvoy

Nickname: Vickman

Course of study at Cambridge: Veterinary Medicine

College: St. John's

Position: Wing

Vicky McEvoy

How got into rugby: Thought it looked like fun so I went along to uni training

Other sports: Hockey, Football, Horse riding and Skiing

Rugby idol: Jonny Wilkinson still floats my boat!

Best on pitch rugby moment:Scoring under the posts through a pack of forwards in Varsity 2011

Best off pitch rugby moment:Wearing nothing but paint on latex or Pocklington tour 09 when Frank and myself got clean :-D


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Bryony Coombs

Nickname: Bry-Dog

Course of study at Cambridge: Engineering

College: Emmanuel

Position: Hooker/Number 8

Bryony Coombs

How got into rugby: Just really keen to smash up girls

Other sports: Football and tennis

Rugby idol: Keno!

Best on pitch rugby moment:Converting a try at Varsity

Best off pitch rugby moment: Fancy dresss!


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Charlotte Browning

Nickname: Brownie

Course of study at Cambridge: Law

College: Magdalene

Position: Scrum-half

Charlotte Browning

How got into rugby: Club development day in Glasgow

Other sports: Skiing, Squash, and Dance (yes that is a sport)

Rugby idol: Chris Cusiter

Best on pitch rugby moment:Captaining Tigers to win against Oxford

Best off pitch rugby moment: Clinging to a rafter in Magdalene College Bar for as long as I could as part of my initiation into the Magdalene Rugby Team...and beating the boy's captain!


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Bridget Hipwell

Course of study at Cambridge: Engineering

College: Trinity

Position: Utility back

Bridget Hipwell

How got into rugby: 7's at school

Other sports: Riding, skiing, hockey

Rugby idol: Bryan Habana, absolute dude

Best on pitch rugby moment:Smashing Oxford at Tiger's Varsity


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Samantha Graham

Nickname: Sammy

Course of study at Cambridge: Natural Sciences

College: Jesus

Position: Scrum-half

Sammy Graham

How got into rugby: My Dad is a kiwi so it's in my blood I suppose.

Other sports: Tennis, snowboarding, surfing, table tennis

Rugby idol: Christian Cullen, Dan Carter, George Gregan

Best on pitch rugby moment:"Keno - you're in the wrong hole"

Best off pitch rugby moment: 14 minute wall squat competition whilst on a swap.

Worst rugby moment: Setting the clock forward instead of back and consequently arriving 2 hours early for a game.


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Claire Davis

Course of study at Cambridge: PhD in Materials Science

College: Selwyn

Position: Flanker


How got into rugby:No idea!

Other sports: Rowing, volleyball

Best on pitch rugby moment:7's tournament - so much fun!

Best off pitch rugby moment: The pre-Varsity match talk in the changing rooms


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Steph Leddington

Course of study at Cambridge: Engineering

College: St. John's

Position: Lock

Steph Leddington

How got into rugby: Played at school

Rugby idol: Shane Williams


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Tia Knight

Course of study at Cambridge: History of Art

College: Selwyn

Position: Wing

Tia Knight

How got into rugby: I did a term of rugby at school

Other sports: Tennis, badminton, athletics, swimming

Rugby idol: Habana for his swerves and speed. Or Dan Carter

Best on pitch rugby moment:The Tiger's Varsity game in 2012

Best off pitch rugby moment: Pocklington Tour and kit night


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Julie Valade

Nickname: None last year, in France it was "Djoul"

Course of study at Cambridge: PhD History

College: Christs

Position: Fly half or inside centre in the past, now second or third row


How got into rugby: My dad played for France and got me into rugby

Other sports: Western riding, scuba diving, handball

Rugby idol: Fabien Galthie

Best on pitch rugby moment:Varsity Match 2010

Best off pitch rugby moment:France-England 2003 at the Velodrome in Marseille


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Lizi McLoughlin

Course of study at Cambridge: Natural Sciences

College: Emmanuel

Position: Flanker or Hooker

Lizi McLoughlin

How got into rugby:Always got jealous watching the boys play, so I took myself along to Uni Women's training and loved it

Other sports: Football, Rowing, Irish Dance, Hockey

Rugby idol: Jonah Lomu

Best on pitch rugby moment:Being part of the Tigers team that beat Oxford in 2012

Best off pitch rugby moment:Kit night 2012 in Cindies!


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Jess Gurney

Course of study at Cambridge:Medicine

College: Newnham

Position: Open side flanker

Jess Gurney

How got into rugby:My dad plays and used to take me down to the rugby club when I was little so I joined in

Best on pitch rugby moment:The first time I ever scored a try and my dad cried because he was so proud of me

Best off pitch rugby moment:When I was awarded tackler of the tournament at a 3 day tournament. It was the first award I ever got and I never thought anyone would notice me!


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