“They Are What They Are Because They Work For It”: Maddy Page, Zara Green and Natasha Logan on Red Roses, Scotland, and University Pathways

Maddy Page, 19, is a hooker/flanker playing for Harlequins, England U20s, and the University of Surrey, where she studies Sport and Exercise Science.

Zara Green, 19, is a prop playing for Harlequins, England U20s, and the University of Surrey, where she studies Midwifery.

Natasha Logan, 22, is a lock playing for Harlequins and Scotland U20s. She previously played for the University of Edinburgh, where she studied Business and Marketing before graduating in 2025.

What did your university rugby journey look like?

Maddy Page: “I came to Harlequins straight from college, and I wasn’t going to go to university originally. I applied through clearing and got in, so that was very lucky. It's been great getting so much game time outside of Quins, because it means I can come into training and take away learnings to put into practice under slightly less pressure.”

Zara Green: “I followed both the university and Harlequins pathways at the same time. I was in Harlequins Centre of Excellence, which is the U18s, and then through that, they approached me and said they were interested in signing me for the senior squad. I love the environment here and I love the pathway.

Last season, Harlequins announced their partnership with the University of Surrey, which was ideal for me. I’ve been able to repeat everything that we do with Quins at university. Having that consistency across both environments has been so beneficial for our development and learning, because we've been able to continue, whether we’re training with Quins or at university.”

Natasha Logan: “My rugby journey is a little bit different. I went to Edinburgh University because it's the only Scottish university competing in BUCS Super Rugby. The rugby there was incredible, it's such a professional programme for university in Scotland, and it meant that I was able play against the best at a young level across the UK. I also got introduced to the Celtic Challenge there, which was such an amazing stepping stone up from the university programme.

I came down to Quins to improve my rugby, and the environment here has been amazing. The coaches have taken me to that next level and so has learning from the experienced players around me.”

When did rugby become a realistic goal for you?

Maddy Page: “My toxic trait is that I think I can do anything. So, I only applied to the rugby college that I went to, which was City of Oxford College. You had to get through the trials to get in, and I only got selected because someone else dropped out.

My coach at college, who is also the transition and under 23s coach at Quins, always likes to say that she took a gamble on me, and it actually paid off well.”

Zara Green: “I didn't know that rugby colleges existed until a friend of a friend told me about Newman College, which is where I ended up going. We had three training days a week, a similar set up to what we do at Harlequins, but on a smaller scale. I really enjoyed my time there, and it was it through that, alongside my time with Quins, that I realised this was something I could do. I love the game, I love training, I love the girls that I train with - so why wouldn’t I do it?”

Natasha Logan: “Once I stepped foot into the university pathway, it became clear to me that I wanted to do performance rugby. There are a few paths you can go down, and most of the girls that left Edinburgh Uni went on to play in the PWR.

We’ve got girls at Bristol, girls at Sale now – there's Scottish girls everywhere, who came from Edinburgh Uni. Seeing how well those Scottish players were performing in the PWR was a real draw for me.”

Did you face any issues when transitioning between university rugby and senior rugby?

Maddy Page: “Organising the rest of my life around rugby is the biggest challenge for me. The rugby detail isn't necessarily hard; you just have to take ownership and make sure you know your stuff when you come into training.

But figuring out which lectures are compulsory, which ones I can miss, and when I can catch up is hard. I also work, so balancing that with rugby and university is always a bit of a challenge. You’ve got so much on your plate at once, so you have to make sure all your bases are covered.”

Zara Green: “Mine is quite similar to Maddy’s. I do midwifery at university, which is a very time-consuming course. Trying to balance my 37-and-a-half-hour working week, on top of university rugby and playing for Harlequins, is quite a difficult task. But I've been lucky because both Harlequins and my university have been amazing in helping me to manage the load.”

Natasha Logan: “My biggest challenge has been getting used to learning with a new team, after playing with the same people for four years at university. But everyone in this environment is so competitive and is striving to be the best player they can be, which is fun and pushes everyone around them to be better. So, even though it's a challenge, it's only really a positive.”

How has representing your respective countries at age-grade and futures level helped to shape the player you are today?

Maddy Page: “Being in England’s Under 20s has been a nice middle ground for my rugby. There are so many like talented players being developed, and I was surrounded by people that were in a similar position to me, which was great. Being able to play in a space where I was confident in myself and my abilities has given me a lot of confidence going into this season with Quins.”

Zara Green: “A big thing I’ve taken away from my experience with England’s Under 20s is the tournament aspect of it. You’re with the girls for three weeks, living together, training together, day in, day out. That’s such a unique experience.

I think we were really fortunate with the England group, because we bonded so well. That was something our coaches really focused on, getting that bond together so we could rally together when times get tough.”

Natasha Logan: “Playing for Scotland Under 20s has really shaped me as a player, mainly in terms of my love for rugby. Being in that environment is so infectious, especially when you’re living with amazing people and spending your spare time with them looking over training techniques.

It shows you why you'd want to be a professional rugby player and why you work hard to get there, that’s what drives me. So, when you get invited into senior environments like the national team, you can really express yourself and show that you deserve to be there.”

England and Scotland faced off in the quarterfinals of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, with England winning 40-8 and securing their place in the semi-finals against France.

How does it feel to watch your country perform on the world’s biggest stage?

Maddy Page: “My biggest takeaway from the Roses being in the position that they are, is that I'm just not surprised. I was invited into a senior camp with them, and from being in in that environment, it's no surprise that they're doing so well.

The way they work as a unit is unmatched and when you’re part of a team where everyone is so in it for each other, you want that to be a part of your life forever. They’ve now made it to the semi-finals of the World Cup, and with the work they put in behind the scenes, it would be insane for them not to be in that position.

They are what they are because they work for it. It really is no surprise to me.”

Zara Green: “It’s amazing. I went to see England vs Australia on the 6th of September at the Amex, and I've been there for football games before because Brighton is my home city. So, being there to watch rugby was special because I got to see my country play at my football club.

I found myself looking around the stadium, and it hit me then that the Red Roses had sold out the Amex in a World Cup pool game. It makes you realise how far women’s rugby has come in England, and it’s great for the younger generation to be able to watch.”

Natasha Logan: “One thing about a country like Scotland is that we are all so proud to be Scottish. I think especially in the opening game of the World Cup against Wales, we knew as a country how much fight this squad has. They had the right mentality going into it, and the scoreline showed that. Making it to a quarter-final for the first time since 2002 shows how special squad this squad is. There’s so much talent and everyone's playing their part in that. Up the Scottish!”

Maddy, Zara, and Natasha will all feature in Harlequins’ squad to face Gloucester Hartpury at 2pm on Sunday 21st September, in the final round of the PWR Cup before the knockouts.

Premiership Women’s Rugby and Breast Cancer Now are tackling breast cancer together over the 2025-2026 season: https://www.justgiving.com/page/premiershipwomensrugby?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL