Simi Pam inspires next generation of Red Roses ahead of Women's Rugby World Cup 2025
As the Red Roses prepare for the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in England with a warm-up match against Spain at Mattioli Woods Welford Road, their last trip to Leicester was a special moment for some supporters.
When the Red Roses faced Scotland at the home of Leicester Tigers during the 2025 Guinness Women’s Six Nations, prop Simi Pam was a travelling reserve.
She is still waiting to earn her first Test cap, but her impact off the pitch goes far beyond caps.
Photos after the game showed her greeting a group of supporters from Kings College London Medical School who had made the trip up to the Midlands to watch the Red Roses.
Their club president had been named ‘outstanding club volunteer’ and the club commended for the ‘outstanding club award’ at the University Rugby Awards, with one of the perks being the opportunity to watch the Red Roses v Scotland.
Starting to play rugby
Renica Thompson, one of the students in attendance, only started playing rugby at university and was inspired by Pam’s story.
“It’s inspiring to see someone who looks like you and plays like you,” said Renica, a versatile prop.
“Simi is also a prop so I feel I have someone I can look up to and it doesn’t look inaccessible. You can see yourself in them.”
Growing up, Renica had always played sport, but mainly played netball with the occasional bit of athletics and dance. However, when she arrived at university she found she didn’t really like the team culture of netball and instead discovered rugby at one of the freshers’ fairs.
After looking at the club’s social media and attending a taster session, she was hooked despite having very little exposure to women’s rugby. In fact, her main knowledge of the sport was that Twickenham was 'the big rugby stadium'.
She had some preconceptions of rugby as quite a ‘masculine’ sport, as well as the drinking culture on socials, but once she joined she found it to be no different to any other sports club.
She said: “It was actually better, because I’m someone of a bigger stature so when I played netball I used to get underestimated a lot, especially when joining a new club.
“In rugby, they said ‘this is where we think you should play, but where would you like to play?’ No one underestimated me, they just wanted to see what skills I had and where they could be used.”
Looking up to Simi Pam
Her love for her newfound sport made her a huge supporter of the Red Roses and she jumped at the opportunity to travel to Leicester to watch the team face Scotland.
With the game taking place over Easter weekend, she had to break the news to her mum that she wouldn’t be home for Easter.
The decision to do so was worth it, with the Red Roses running in nine tries for a 59-7 win and Pam even came over to meet her fan club.
“Meeting Simi I was literally shaking,” said Renica.
“We were shouting her name and she came over, gave us a hug and we were telling her that we’re medical students.
“That’s also an additional layer, knowing someone who is also a doctor, a black woman and is playing rugby – it’s almost like looking in the mirror.
“She’s there, she’s present. The fact that people are still going up to her and asking her for pictures, even though she isn’t playing, I think she can take that as an achievement in itself.
“People know who she is, she’s increasing representation by just being there. I can’t imagine how much of an impact she would have if she was also playing.”
Diversity at the heart of her rugby team
Renica’s club, Kings College London GKT, are also championing their diversity. When Renica started, she was one of three black women in the squad, but fast forward a couple of years and she is one of seven, with players from numerous backgrounds also in the squad.
She has also experienced her own rise through the ranks, being voted captain of her team for next season and hopes that the diversity of the team will help more people pick up the sport.
“I think it’s so important when you think about recruitment, because people are only going to join when they see people who look like them,” she said.
“I’ve only been playing for two seasons and the fact that my team have seen my potential enough to say they want me to be their captain, I’m very touched by it. My rugby knowledge is still building, but they believe in my skill and my leadership.”
In many ways, Renica is continuing Pam’s work as a trailblazer in the women’s game. The similarities between the two as black women practicing medicine, demonstrates the impact of Pam, as well as the potential for future Red Roses from similar backgrounds.
The Red Roses will also be back in action at Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Saturday 2 August for their Rugby World Cup warm-up match against Spain, before they face France in Mont-de-Marsan.
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