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Helena Rowland to make first PWR appearance since World Cup win
By Lucy Lomax
World Cup winner Helena Rowland is set to make her first PWR appearance of the season when she steps out for Loughborough Lightning in round 13 against Sale Sharks this weekend.
The Red Roses back underwent ankle surgery after winning the World Cup with England on home soil back in September 2025.
Rowland is selected at fly-half in one of four personnel changes to head coach Nathan Smith’s starting line-up as Helen Nelson switches to fullback, Bulou Mataitoga reverts back to the right wing, and Meg Davey plays her first Lightning game of 2026 starting at scrum-half.
VIDEO
Daisy Hibbert-Jones switches to open side flanker in place of Sadia Kabeya, who is unavailable to play due to being stuck in Dubai with the ongoing airspace disruption.
Both Lightning and Sale sit on 23 points in the league, in sixth and seventh place respectively, Loughborough with a game in hand.
PWR
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
Saracens Women
11
10
1
0
50
2
Gloucester-Hartpury Women RFC
10
10
0
0
50
3
Exeter Chiefs Women
11
5
3
3
35
4
Harlequins Women
11
5
5
1
33
5
Trailfinders Women
11
4
5
2
32
6
Loughborough Lightning
10
3
5
2
23
7
Sale Sharks Women
11
3
7
1
23
8
Bristol Bears Women
11
3
7
1
20
9
Leicester Tigers Women
10
0
10
0
1
Loughborough team to play Sale Sharks:
15 Helen Nelson
14 Bulou Mataitoga
13 Alev Kelter
12 Carmela Morrall
11 Bo Westcombe-Evans
10 Helena Rowland
9 Meg Davey
1 Isla Curphey
2 Kathryn Treder
3 Christine Belisle
4 Lilli Ives Campion
5 Rachel Ehrecke
6 Becky Boyd
7 Daisy Hibbert-Jones (c)
8 Haineala Lutui
Replacements:
16 Paige Stathopoulos
17 Anne Young
18 Mae Sagapolu
19 Tahlia Brody
20 Kendall Waudby
21 Lis Maude
22 Fancy Bermudez
23 Lucia Scott
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