Trailfinders Women are delighted to announce the signing of flanker Fiona Cooper ahead of our first season in the Premier 15s.

Fiona joins the club with a wealth of experience across a variety of different rugby cultures for a player who is just 26 years of age, including playing in Scotland, England, New Zealand and America.

Despite now being at the top of her game, Fiona didn’t take up rugby until she was 16 years old, when she attended a taster session for girls at her local club, Howe of Fife, back in Scotland.

She took to it like a duck to water, and within two years was at a Scotland U18s training camp. From there she advanced to St Andrews, playing for both the university and Howe of Fife Seniors and earned a call up to the Scotland U20s squad.

While she was completing her International Relations undergrad, she had the opportunity to go on a year abroad and study at the University of Auckland, one that she grabbed with both hands!

While she was over in Auckland she played at Ponsonby Rugby Club, who had six Black Ferns in their pack at the time as she went on a self confessed “steep learning curve” about what she needed to do to play in the forwards, but it was one that she said “helped massively.”

When she returned back home, she completed her studies and gained a place on the Scottish pathways programme during her final year at St Andrews.

After graduating, she then moved to Emory University in Atlanta for a master’s degree and while she was there joined up with the Atlanta Harlequins for two years.

As lockdown hit she returned to Scotland, and begun training with Corstorphine Cougars in the Tennent’s Premiership as restrictions begun to be lifted.

After proving herself back in Scotland, at the start of this season she decided to test herself in the Premier 15s and moved down to Wasps. During her time for the London club she made 18 appearances, with only one coming from the bench, and her superb form earned her a call-up to the Scotland training squad ahead of this year’s Women’s TikTok Six Nations.

Away from the rugby pitch, Fiona is currently a Knowledge Manager at Laureus Sport for Good, an international charity using sport to combat violence, discrimination and disadvantage around the world.

On signing for Trailfinders, Fiona said: I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Trailfinders next season! Joining a new team in the Premier 15s provides exciting opportunities to be a foundational part of the club’s future in the women’s game and their commitment and investment means it’s sure to be a dynamic environment.

“I’m particularly excited to be joining some coaches from Wasps who have supported me to achieve really wonderful things despite a challenging year and new coaches who I’m sure will push me on to the next level of my rugby.

“Trailfinders also does some really wonderful work in the community which is very close to my heart and a perfect place to make my new home.”

Director of Women’s Rugby Giselle Mather said: “Fiona has a lot of varied rugby experiences under her belt and bringing that knowledge of working in different rugby environments across the world will be invaluable as we form our new squad into a competitive team.

“She is a fiercely competitive player who trains hard and who is keen now to begin to make an impact on the international stage and I feel all at Trailfinders are ready to help her achieve that.”

Trailfinders Women are pleased to announce the signing of loosehead prop Andrea Stock.

Andrea was one of the first athletes to come through the Trailfinders Rugby Academy at Brunel University and has been playing at Wasps in the Premier 15s ever since.

She first started playing rugby aged 14 back home in Ireland, and within four years of playing the sport she was called up to the Munster U18s squad. After quickly impressing, she was then named in the senior Munster squad where she played for a year before she moved over to London in 2018 to begin her studies at Brunel.

It was in her second year at Brunel that Ealing Trailfinders partnered with the West-London university, helping her rugby improve even further.

Andrea is now in her fifth season playing for Wasps, and has amassed 50 appearances for the side. After some particularly strong form this year, she was called up to the wider Ireland training squad for the TikTok Women’s Six Nations.

Despite having graduated from Brunel University, Andrea currently still works at the student union and lives just a stone throw away from Trailfinders Sports Club.

When discussing her move to club, Andrea said: “I’m really looking forward to becoming a Trailfinder next season and feel it’s the perfect club to help me achieve my goals.”

“The set-up and aspirations of the club, tied in with the opportunity for us to help shape this new side, are really exciting for me as a player.

“After studying at Brunel, and the club being part of my development there, while also being able to link back up with Giselle, who coached me when I was at Wasps, it feels like a perfect combination.”

Director of Women’s Rugby Giselle Mather said: “Andrea has huge ambitions to raise her game to the next level and I am delighted she has chosen Trailfinders to help her do that.

“Having come through the programme at Brunel University it is brilliant to see her now progress to the Premier15s side. She has a fantastic work rate on the field and makes her presence felt both sides of the ball. She will be one to watch!”

Trailfinders Women are delighted to announce the signing of Lauren Brooks from Harlequins ahead of next season.

The flanker first joined Quins in 2017, ahead of their first season in the Premier 15s, and has been there for the last six years, amassing over 40 appearances in the four quarters.

In 2021, she started at blindside flanker in the Premier 15s final at Kingsholm, as Harlequins won the title for the first time in their history, defeating then two time champions Saracens by 25-17.

Away from the rugby pitch, Lauren is an Army reservist, serving with the Royal Engineers and has spent one year representing the Army 7s side, and another for the Army 15s team. Earlier this year Lauren was part of the team that were crowned Inter-service Champions, after victories against the RAF at Kingsholm and against the Navy at Twickenham.

On joining Trailfinders Women, Lauren said: “With the club joining the Premier 15s next season, moving to Trailfinders now is an exciting challenge as we get to set a platform for how we’re going to play, both this year and for the seasons ahead.

“For me now, I really think the club is the right place for me to further develop my skills, both on and off the pitch, and I’m looking forward to meeting the girls and all the coaching staff.

“The facilities and commitment the club has is exceptional, and is paving the way for the women’s game and I can’t wait to get going.”

Director of Rugby Giselle Mather said: “Lauren is a hard-working, physical forward who thrives in the contact areas of the sport.

“She loves a challenge and is keen to progress her game both sides of the ball, and we can’t wait for her to get started!”

Lauren is our third signing this week, along with Japanese International Kie Tamai and Red Rose Rowena Burnfield.

Trailfinders Women are delighted to announce the signing of international Red Rose Rowena Burnfield to our squad ahead of our entry into the Premier 15s next season.

The second-row has 50 caps for her country, first making her debut back in 2015 and most recently being named in the Six Nations squad for the Championship last year.

Rowena started her rugby at her local club in Andover, before moving over to Richmond aged just 17. She saw the inception of the Premier 15s while at the London club, as they entered into the top division. In her final year at the club she was named captain of the side as they achieved their best ever finish.

In 2019 she moved over to fellow Londoners Wasps, helping them reach the playoffs during the 2020/21 season, before they lost 25-14 to eventual champions Harlequins in the semi-final.

She remained in Acton for three years, before moving to Harlequins mid-way through this season, when Wasps’ financial issues surfaced.

Away from rugby, Rowena is completing her studies on an agricultural degree at Sparsholt College through the University of Portsmouth, and lives and works on her family’s agricultural dairy farm.

On moving to the club, Rowena said: “I’m really looking forward to go and play for a new team with new players and new staff over at Trailfinders.

“It’s a great club and I think there’s a unique chance for us to build our own ethos and culture as a squad and I’m looking forward to the new opportunity as we look to make a statement within the league.”

On the signing, Director of Women’s Rugby Giselle Mather said: “I’m thrilled to have someone of Ro’s quality and experience joining Trailfinders for our first year in the Premier 15s.

“The example Ro sets by always leading from the front on the pitch has earned her 50 caps for her country, but the leadership she has displayed in every environment she has been in and the knowledge she has gained will also be invaluable to the whole squad, as we bond as a group and install our own culture and standards among the team.

“Ro’s incredible work ethic and dedication to still being the best she can be after such an incredible career will be inspirational to our younger athletes. We are delighted to have her on board.”

Rowena is the third international to join the squad for next season, and there will be more being announced in the coming days…

Ealing Trailfinders Women are pleased to reveal their new Strength and Conditioning team, which will work across the Premier15s team and the club’s pathways at Brunel University, Henley College and Cardinal Newman.

Adam Dowsett – Lead Athletic Performance Coach

With over a decade of experience in Strength and Conditioning, including six years at Wasps Women, Adam will be leading the club’s strength and conditioning across the Premier15s team and guiding the club’s pathways at Brunel University, Henley College and Cardinal Newman. He first started in Strength & Conditioning at Brunel University ten years ago, as he worked closely with the university’s sports scholars, some of them Olympic International athletes, across eight different sports. This is where he first discovered his passion for women’s rugby and this later led to a move to Wasps Women. After six years with the Premier15s side, where they consistently qualified for the playoffs, he moved back to Brunel University this year, working with the women’s programme at the Trailfinders Rugby Academy as they gained promotion into the second tier of British University Rugby.

Fiona ‘Fee’ Pocock – Assistant Strength & Conditioning

Fee is a former Red Rose and an experienced S&C coach who has worked with a wide range of athletes in a variety of settings, from youth athletes to most recently leading the Wasps Women Premier15s programme. Known for her physicality and pace, Fee’s ten year playing career included being an integral part of the England World Cup squad in 2010 as well as winning four Six Nations titles. She also won the Premiership with Harlequins Women in 2017, their first year in the Premiership.

Sam Thirlwell – Head of Strength & Conditioning at Henley College

Sam is entering his fifth year working in S&C, and has experience across both rugby and football. He is continuing his role as S&C coach at Henley College, where he has been during the last two years, and over that time he has helped to produce five England U18s internationals and saw the team achieve second place in their first year in the AOC Performance League. Before being at Henley, he gained experience at Harlequins, Leeds Beckett and Southampton FC and has a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science, as well as an MSc in Applied Strength and Conditioning Science.

The announcement of the S&C team comes following on from the news that Giselle Mather will be joined in her coaching group by Brett Wilkinson, Barney Maddison, Oli Bishop, Kim Oliver and Pat Metcalfe-Jones. To read about that announcement, click here.

When speaking about her new coaches and S&C team, Giselle said: “It is hugely exciting to assemble such a vastly experienced coaching team that are all experts in their areas of the game.

“Their commitment to developing our athletes, both as individuals and collectively as a team, is palpable.

“Having full-time coaching staff will allow them to genuinely support the challenges faced by working athletes as they juggle their training hours alongside their careers and this will be a real area of strength of the Ealing Trailfinders programme moving forward. We cannot wait to get started!!”

The Strength & Conditioning team are the first set of support staff to be announced. In the coming weeks, the Analysis, Nutrition, Psychology, Player Development and Pathway teams will all be revealed.