Loughborough Lightning’s long-serving scrum-half Megan Davey has been named in the extended Wales training squad for the WXV Global Series, the national set-up confirmed this week. The selection is the latest development for a player who has become a familiar face for fans at the John Sandford ground, having amassed a club record 124 appearances since making her Lightning debut aged 17.
From Loughborough pitch to international camp
Davey, who shares the town’s proud rugby tradition, joins fellow scrum-halves Keira Bevan, Seren Lockwood and Ffion Williams in the Wales group. The call-up follows previous involvement in Wales camps for Davey and marks a fresh opportunity for the uncapped player to press her case for full international honours.
The move to include Davey in Sean Lynn’s extended group recalls an earlier development in her career when she and Kendall Waudby were first invited into Wales preparations ahead of the 2026 Guinness Women’s Six Nations. Waudby has since moved on to Sale Sharks, while Davey remains a fixture for Nathan Smith’s East Midlands side.
“I am just going to go for it. I have been welcomed in with open arms by Lynny and hopefully the rest of the squad,” Davey said when first involved in Wales preparations. “My family has always wanted me to play international rugby, it has always been a dream for me.”
The 2026 autumn schedule will be a busy spell for Wales. On home soil they will host the USA Women’s Eagles and the Springbok Women, before travelling to Japan for consecutive matches in Tokyo and Kumagaya. The fixtures offer an important chance to rebuild momentum under head coach Sean Lynn ahead of the WXV Global Series.
| Fixture | Venue/Location |
|---|---|
| USA Women’s Eagles | Home (Wales) |
| Springbok Women | Home (Wales) |
| Japan | Tokyo |
| Japan | Kumagaya |
What the selection means for Loughborough
For Lightning supporters the news will be greeted with pride. Davey has been a constant for the club across multiple seasons, earning the most appearances in the side’s history and becoming an experienced presence in the dressing room. Her elevation to Wales’ training squad underscores the quality being nurtured in the East Midlands, and will be closely watched by Lightning fans who have followed her career since teenage years.
It is also a personal milestone. Davey has spoken publicly about her family ties to Wales, saying her grandfather, James Davey, who has since passed away, was Welsh and that representing Wales would honour his memory. That background gives her call-up an emotional resonance for the player and for local supporters aware of her roots.
- 124 — club appearances, record for Loughborough Lightning
- Debut age: 17 for Loughborough Lightning
- International context: named in Wales extended squad for autumn Tests and WXV preparations
Wales arrive at this autumn block seeking form. Since Sean Lynn took the head coach role ahead of the 2025 Guinness Women’s Six Nations, Wales have recorded only one victory, a 21-12 win over Australia in Brisbane, 13 months ago. The period has included a disappointing exit from the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 and a second successive winless Women’s Six Nations campaign. The autumn fixtures therefore represent both a selection opportunity for uncapped players and a test for Lynn’s group as they try to arrest a difficult run of results.
For the town, the development provides an additional storyline to follow this season as Loughborough Lightning continue their domestic campaign. The club will hope that Davey’s exposure to international coaching and higher-level training will feed back positively into the squad when she returns to the East Midlands.
Supporters will be watching to see if the uncapped centurion can make the step up to full international caps and add another local chapter to Loughborough’s growing reputation as a producer of rugby talent.
