Flt Lt Nye to hang up her club rugby boots

Exeter Chiefs Women’s Lucy Nye is retiring from PWR rugby to concentrate on her career with the Royal Air Force.

The 30-year-old has made the decision after two full seasons with the club after she moved back to Devon as part of a 12-year career in the top flight.

The Exeter born and bred scrum-half will hang up her boots from club rugby at the end of this year’s JAECOO Next Gen Cup season.

Flight Lieutenant Nye said: “The RAF have always been great in supporting me while I have been here but now I want to kick on with my career. I absolutely love Chiefs and I’ve always done rugby, but I think it’s nice to end something on your own terms.”

Nye started her rugby journey at Hartpury College before playing for Bristol and then for Loughborough University while playing her club rugby at Lichfield RFC. She swapped to Loughborough Lightning when Lichfield did not make it into the Premiership before heading to Wasps to coincide with her burgeoning RAF career and then onto Tigers.

Player #103 Nye made her debut for Chiefs against Harlequins at the Twickenham Stoop in October 2024. She has made a total of 27 appearances for the club: 22 in the league and five in the cup.

Nye has also juggled playing for the RAF and running out as vice-captain for the United Kingdom Armed Forces. She was part of the PWR Powered Differently campaign which threw the spotlight in her career as a Flight Lieutenant for the RAF.

Nye added: “I am Exeter born and bred. I grew up here, worked at Sandy Park, but there was never a women’s team. I can’t be more grateful to have finished my career down here.

“Every life decision I have ever made has always been around rugby. That change will be a bit foreign to me, but I also feel at peace with my decision, so I think that’s a sign that it’s the right for me. I’m going to miss the girls but I’m leaving with a big smile on my face.

“I am lucky though that the RAF is a pretty similar environment, so I am really excited to kick on into the next chapter of my life, but I am happy and I am excited about it. I just want to finish on a high and go out on my terms.”

Exeter Chiefs Women’s head coach Oli Bishop said: “Lucy’s been an incredible player for Exeter Chiefs. Personally, I have worked with her for multiple years through my time at Wasps and also here. She’s an extremely dedicated player who focuses on getting better, helping drive the standard around her and helping the youngsters improve their game and their knowledge and understanding.

“She will be hugely missed at Exeter on and off the pitch. She has added huge value to us but we understand that with Lucy being a dual-career athlete, at some point you have to look at creating opportunities away from rugby and Lucy has that opportunity with her work in the RAF.

“She leaves on great terms and again has been hugely influential this season with the youngsters coming through. We have two young nines pushing in our senior squad and she has been brilliant with them. As a whole club we definitely wish her the best of luck and hopefully we will see us in the stands as a major Chiefs advocate.”

Watch full video interview below.