Olympic silver medallist Symonds joins Loughborough as sixth Canada international for 2026/27

Florence Symonds, the 24-year-old Olympic silver medallist and Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 finalist, has signed with Loughborough Lightning for the 2026/27 Premiership Women’s Rugby season. She becomes the sixth Canada international currently on the club’s books, joining Pamphinette Buisa, Chloe Daniels, Brooke Rempel, Kiki Idowu and Rachel Smith at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.

Symonds has been a fixture on the international circuit since making her HSBC SVNS debut in 2021. She helped Canada claim bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham before earning Olympic silver in Paris in 2024. In the 15-a-side format, she made her international debut in 2023 and has since accumulated 18 caps for Kévin Rouet’s side, starting every one of Canada’s six matches at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup as they reached the final against England’s Red Roses at Allianz Stadium.

The move represents Symonds’ first experience of professional club rugby. “Loughborough has always stood out as a club with a really strong programme and a lot of quality players,” she said. “I wanted to challenge myself in a new environment, learn a different style of rugby to what I’ve been used to in Canada, and continue developing my game as a 15s player.”

She added that the PWR’s reputation as one of the strongest women’s competitions in the world was central to her decision. “This will be my first experience playing in a professional club league, so it’s a really exciting opportunity and one I’m looking forward to making the most of.”

Loughborough head coach Nathan Smith, who served as an assistant coach for Canada during the 2026 Pacific Four Series — where the World Cup runners-up finished second — described Symonds as a long-standing target. “She is a player I have tracked for a couple of years and have been close to signing her previously, so it is pleasing to get her over the line,” Smith said. “Flo is a massively exciting player who has already made a big impact internationally in both formats of the game. She has the potential to light up the PWR next season.”

Loughborough will be hoping Symonds can help the club improve on a 2024/25 campaign that started promisingly before fading to sixth in the league table, seven points short of the knockout rounds. The club has a long history of recruiting Canadian talent, with Fancy Bermudez a current squad member and former players including Krissy Scurfield, Abby Duguid and Courtney Holtkamp all having represented the African Violet.