Sams back on the field for England Students Women

Exeter Chiefs Women’s Hannah Sams will take to the field for the first time tomorrow after recovering from shoulder surgery.

The tighthead prop is one of six players provided by the University of Exeter to the England Students Women’s squad that will take on the UK Armed Forces this weekend.

Sams will run out alongside Sophie Langford, Eva Sterritt and Lucy Ward, who all wore the Chiefs jersey last season. They will be joined at Cobham RFC on Saturday (KO 17:00 BST) by the University’s Anna Richardson and Izzy Newnes-Smith.

It is the second year for the programme since its return in last year's 74-22 victory over the UKAF Women's Rugby team.

This year, the squad will be led on the field by co-captains Ellie Roberts and Sterritt. Roberts, who starts at No 8, is fresh off the back of helping lead her Loughborough University side to a first BUCS Super Rugby title in 21 years, while Sterritt, who starts on the wing, captained of Exeter University for the 2025/26 season.

Leading the side alongside head coach Andrew Ford are assistant coaches Poppy Leitch, Exeter Chiefs Women’s U23s lead, and Lisa Newton.

Ford said: "We can't wait for Saturday afternoon. The group have gelled really well and have taken on board those key principles of adopting one another, becoming a family and being authentic to themselves.

"We've had an excellent training week kindly hosted at Aldershot Garrison the home of the British Army, and Saturday's performance will be a culmination of all of these players' hard work both across this week and their university careers."

The England Students Women's programme has been generously supported by UKAF Rugby and sponsored by Mind Foundry.

ENGLAND STUDENTS WOMEN

15 Morgan Burke (Cardiff Metropolitan University)
14 NikkI Davenhill (Hartpury University)
13 Molly Allen (Hartpury University)
12 Sophie Langford (University of Exeter)
11 Eva Sterritt (cc) (University of Exeter)
10 Rebecca Jackson (Hartpury University)
9 Sophie Molton (Brunel University London)
1 Lucy Ward (University of Exeter)
2 Alana Bainbridge (University of Law)
3 Hannah Sams (University of Exeter)
4 Eryn Sinkler (Hartpury University)
5 Martha Green (Hartpury University)
6 Izzy Newnes-Smith (University of Exeter)
7 Sarah Shrestha (Loughborough University)
8 Ellie Roberts (Loughborough University)

Replacements:

16 Nicole Waring (Brunel University London)
17 Isla Pomroy (Brunel University London)
18 Isabel van der Stratten (University of Bristol)
19 Chloe Benjamin (University of Surrey)
20 Anna Richardson (University of Exeter)
21 Lucy Sharpe (Brunel University London)
22 Evie Haskell (Newcastle University)
23 Emily Lunn (Brunel University London)