USA hooker Treder re-signs with Loughborough Lightning for a fourth season with top-four ambitions

Kathryn Treder has signed a new contract with Loughborough Lightning, extending her stay at the East Midlands club into a fourth season ahead of the 2026/27 Premiership Women’s Rugby campaign.

The USA Women’s Eagles hooker arrived at Lightning in 2023 following a spell with Darlington Mowden Park and has since accumulated 24 tries in 43 appearances, including 16 outings and five tries in the most recent season. Treder, 30, also represented the United States at a second Women’s Rugby World Cup last year, though the Eagles exited at the group stage after defeats to England, Australia and Samoa.

For Treder, the motivation behind re-signing is straightforward — and so is the ambition. “My personal goals for this season are just to see this side make the top four; it’s been our ambition for a long time, and it’s a very real possibility,” she said.

Loughborough’s case for optimism is grounded in recent history. Last season the club began strongly before fading to a sixth-place finish, ending the year just seven points behind fourth-placed Trailfinders Women, who went on to reach the final at the Twickenham Stoop before losing to Saracens. The margin between Lightning and the play-off places is narrow enough to encourage genuine belief.

“I’m incredibly proud of the efforts of the group in the 2025/26 season,” Treder added. “I don’t think where we finished in the table is a true reflection of the efforts and the talent of the squad. Last year has made me really excited for this upcoming season. I feel we’re on the precipice of something really awesome.”

Treder is one of several players to have committed to the club for the new campaign. Helena Rowland, Sadia Kabeya, Daisy Hibbert-Jones, Carmela Morrall, Megan Davey, Mae Sagapolu, Keevy Fitzpatrick and Amelia Williams have all re-signed as Lightning look to build on last season’s promise.

Head coach Nathan Smith, who personally recruited Treder when he joined the club, welcomed her continued commitment. “She brings an excellent level of precision with her lineout throwing, as well as a mature head and level of experience as a seasoned international campaigner,” Smith said. “We are fortunate to be in a position where the hooker position is one of great strength and depth at Lightning, and they each push each other to improve and perform on the pitch.”