New Ireland cap and Olympian are latest Trailfinders re-signings

Recently-capped Ireland international Niamh Gallagher is among the latest re-signing by JAECOO Premiership Women’s Rugby club Trailfinders Women.

The 21-year-old’s strong performances in West London this season earned the full-back her first Test cap for Scott Bemand’s side against Wales at the 2026 Guinness Women’s Six Nations.

Gallagher started Trailfinders’ PWR final loss to Saracens from among the replacements as the West Londoners were beaten 52-14 at the Twickenham Stoop.

In PWR competition last term, Gallagher made 16 league appearances for Trailfinders, scored four tries and kicked 25 conversions in a superb breakthrough campaign.

In February, Trailfinders’ head coach Barney Maddison, said: “We’ve been working with Niamh now for the past couple of years and she’s come on leaps and bounds.

“She’s an absolute sponge, in the sense of she just wants to take information all the team, wants to learn – which is massive at her age, where you want to take all the information in.

“Being able to train with all these top-end internationals, also to learn from Shings [Steven Shingler, attack coach], from an attacking point of view and she has done really well.”

Two-time Olympian and Scotland centre Lisa Thomson has re-signed for Maddison’s team too. The 28-year-old missed the 2025/26 league season with injury. Her last outing came for Scotland in her team’s Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 quarter-final exit to the Red Roses.

Canada full-back Julia Schell has also penned a new deal. The 30-year-old, who scored six tries at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 on the way to a runners-up finish against England, made four PWR appearances last season before she sustained an ACL injury.

The club have also confirmed the retention of full-back, Rosie Inman. Last season Inman started the PWR final against and recently represented Great Britain Sevens in Rugby Europe competition. Back-row Sally Williams, who made five league appearances in 2025/26, has also extended her stay with the club.

So far this summer Trailfinders have announced the signings of Scotland fly-half Helen Nelson,  two-cap England wing Bo Westcombe Evans and ex-Harlequins lock Teya Ashworth.

They have also confirmed the retention of Red Roses Abi Burton and Haidee Head, Wales back Carys Cox, Spain front-row Cristina Blanco, as well as Jess Cooksey, Grace White, Ella Amory, Brooke Bradley and Amanda Mcquade.