Loughborough Lightning sign five Canada internationals ahead of 2026/27 PWR season

Loughborough Lightning have signed five Canada internationals ahead of the 2026/27 Premiership Women’s Rugby season, with head coach Nathan Smith describing the recruitment drive as a “huge statement of intent” for the East Midlands club.

The quintet includes Chloe Daniels and Buisa, both arriving from Bristol Bears where they spent the 2025/26 campaign. Daniels, a full-back/fly-half, won an Olympic silver medal with Canada at the 2024 Paris Games and made her senior XVs debut for Kévin Rouet’s side at the Pacific Four Series. Both players will represent Canada Women’s Sevens at this weekend’s HSBC SVNS World Championship event in Bordeaux before linking up with Lightning.

Smith — the player, not the coach — is a 25-year-old veteran of the Canada squad that reached the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 final and has earned seven caps for her country. Head coach Nathan Smith highlighted her dedication to setpiece work as a key factor in her recruitment.

The remaining two signings, tighthead prop Brooke Rempel and hooker Kiki Idowu, are among the most exciting emerging talents in Canadian rugby. Rempel, aged 20, was the youngest member of Rouet’s squad for the Pacific Four Series in the USA. Idowu, 21, marked her Test debut against Australia in April with a try, having previously scored a hat-trick against England U21 Women.

“We have stuck to our recruitment philosophy of having high-potential, high-character players, and we have certainly got five of them coming over from Canada,” head coach Smith said. “They are physically impressive, and the diligence they have to want to improve, want to become better players, fits into the Lightning programme.”

Smith also pointed to the club’s positive history with Canadian players, citing Abby Duguid, Courtney Holtkamp and Krissy Scurfield as predecessors who thrived at Lightning. “I am confident these signings will follow in their footsteps and help us in making the next step to be increasingly competitive in Premiership Women’s Rugby — a league which is getting better and better by the year.”

Loughborough currently sit seventh in the PWR table and close out their 2025/26 season with a derby fixture against Leicester Tigers at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.