Loughborough Lightning
MACDOUGALL FULFILLING CHILDHOOD DREAM WITH SARACENS
StoneX Stadium has always been home for Amelia MacDougall...writes Abi Curran
The 18-year-old vividly remembers being huddled in the fabled stands with her dad, come rain or shine, watching the Men and Women in Black perform.
Now, the lifelong Sarries fan wears the same crescent and star emblem she bore as a spritely six-year-old with Saracens Amateur RFC.
MacDougall made her Premiership Women’s Rugby debut against Loughborough on home turf for Saracens’ opener and impressed again, stepping into Zoe Harrison’s shoes against Harlequins at The Stoop last weekend.
“To make my Premiership debut against Loughborough, especially at StoneX with all the home fans, was a really special experience,” she said.
“The girls just said to be myself, be confident in what I’m doing because they’re going to back my decisions whatever it is and I think that really showed on the pitch.
“When I got the call up in the summer, it was a great feeling knowing I’m coming into the senior squad because I’ve been supporting Sarries from such a young age.
“I just remember that in any weather, me and my dad always used to go and watch the men and the women play, that was our thing.”
he promising kicking talent took to the stage with a familiarity that belied her years, slotting in with ease alongside Ella Wyrwas and Sophie Bridger.
When the Middlesex University student is not training, she spends another portion of her time studying at the stadium as part of her sport and exercise science degree.
She spent her earlier years with Old Albanians, who she still plays for now, and joined Oaklands College as part of Saracens’ pathway.
After a summer call-up and valuable game time in the Allianz Cup, MacDougall caught attention from across the league with superb vision and a kick to set up Paige Farries against Harlequins in Saracens’ 31-0 away win.
Unreal vision from Amelia MacDougall and a pretty handy finish from @farries12‼️ Not a bad way to score your first try for the club...#YourSaracens💫 pic.twitter.com/yH8OkZn5uA
— Saracens Women (@SaracensWomen)December 4, 2023
“Lewis Sones [backs coach] and Alex [Austerberry] explained how they wanted me to come into the senior squad and just express myself and see where that gets me,” she said.
“I love little kicks over the top or in behind defence, I’ve tried it a few times before and it actually came off with Paige.
“I wanted to give the forwards a break from all the hard work they’d been putting in all game.
“The team coming together and the feeling of being with each other and getting better as a squad is probably my favourite thing about rugby.”
MacDougall has added strength in depth to Saracens’ backs and her U18s international experience earlier in the year has proved beneficial.
Her sights are set high, targeting a Red Roses career, even if some stick does come along the way from her routine of cutting her matchday socks short before each game.
“Zoe [Harrison] is a great player, she’s great to learn from and be around at every training session,” she said.
“She’s already improved me as a player in this short amount of time I’ve had alongside her.
“My end goal is to win a cap for the Red Roses but I try not to think too far into the future, I just want to focus on now and developing as a player.
“Getting into the England U20s is my next big goal and getting experience under my belt is definitely helping along the way.
On her sock-cutting ritual, she added, “I got a bit of stick before Harlequins because I cut my socks smaller at the top and the toe and wear some smaller socks underneath.
“I’ve just always loved playing in short socks, it’s a weird thing I’ve always done to them. I just like to have the Sarries badge showing.”
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