Empire Rugby Academy

Get to know Isobelle Cowie 💜

Izzy is one of our incredible players who shows great commitment to her development, travelling from Abu Dhabi week in, week out to train with Empire.

Over the past season, we’ve seen her continue to grow in confidence and really make her mark in the centre position, particularly during our time in Portugal. Izzy is a very exciting talent with a bright future ahead.

We can’t wait to see her continue to develop and thrive over the season ahead! 👑💜

We are incredibly excited to continue our partnership with High Performance Systems (HPS) for the 2026/27 season. 💜

HPS have been part of the Empire journey since we first launched in April 2025, and their programme has become an integral part of what we offer our girls.

From mindset and nutrition education to combat training and strength & conditioning, our players have fully embraced the HPS programme and the opportunity to develop beyond just their rugby skills.

We are huge advocates of their approach to developing well-rounded athletes, giving our girls the knowledge, tools and confidence to support their performance both on and off the pitch.

A huge thank you to the entire HPS team especially Mike and Brad for continuing to support our girls and the journey we are building at Empire. 👑

We are incredibly excited to welcome The Rock It Company back as our Official International Tour Sponsor for the 2026/27 season. 💜🇵🇹

The Rock It Company, DIETL by Rock It and CARS by Rock It will be supporting our girls on what promises to be another unforgettable international experience.

From sponsoring our beautiful tour training kit and supporting our five-week training block before flying. They helped us create an amazing experience for our girls whilst in Lisbon.

We are extremely grateful to have such loyal sponsors who continue to believe in what we are building at Empire.

A huge thank you to James McSweeney at The Rock It Company for continuing this journey with us.

Get to know Ava Swartz 💜

A day one Empire girly and our starting ho**er in Portugal 🇵🇹

Powerful and dynamic on the pitch, with the biggest smile off it. Ava brings so much energy to the squad and we love watching her continue to grow in an Empire shirt 🏉

We are incredibly grateful to welcome Colain back as an official sponsor for the 2026/27 season, joining us as our Official Equipment Sponsor. 👑💜

Colain have been part of the Empire journey since the academy began and ensure our training sessions are fully equipped all year round.

Most recently, they also supported our End of Year Awards, celebrating our girls and helping to make the occasion even more memorable!

A very special thank you to Mathew Lamont at Colain, who consistently goes above and beyond for the academy. Whether it’s equipment, kit, photography, or simply being there to support what we are building, his support is always greatly appreciated.

We are extremely grateful to have such a loyal partner continuing this journey with us, and we are excited for another brilliant season together! 💜

Get to know Iona 💜

An Empire day one girlie! Iona is strong, powerful and always brings an incredible work ethic to every session.

Iona was one of our key players on tour in Portugal, where she claimed that second row shirt and truly made it her own!

We have loved watching her grow with Empire and can’t wait to see her tear up again next season!🤩

Congratulations to Saheli Godahena on her selection for the Sri Lanka Rugby U18s squad! 🇱🇰

We are incredibly proud of you and can’t wait to watch you tear it up at the upcoming tournament in China this September! 🤩

Congratulations and best of luck, Saheli! ✨