Meet Wigan Warriors' homegrown talent who is already on the cusp of international honours

The homegrown Wigan Warriors talent is one of the brightest prospects in the women’s game right now, having progressed through the famed youth ranks at her hometown club.

Foubister has enjoyed a meteoric - but well-deserved - rise over the last 12 months. She was promoted to Denis Betts’ first-team squad from the academy in May 2024 before making her mark in the Women’s Super League.

She made a try-scoring debut in a 102-0 win away at Huddersfield Giants, and helped the Warriors lift the Women’s Nines Trophy in July before earning her first call-up to England’s senior squad ahead of their Test match against Wales last autumn.

The 18-year-old halfback - who has yet to make her international debut - was then part of the England squad who were defeated by Australia in Las Vegas last month.

It’s been a rapid rise to the top for Foubister, but one that she has earned through hours and hours of practice on the training field, and her willingness to learn from her more experienced peers.

“I started at six and I played with my brother at Wigan St Cuthberts,” Foubister told Wigan Today. “I moved to Orrell St James for the girl’s team and I played the age above when I was with the lads, but I came into the system here at Wigan (Warriors) when I was 15.

“I got brought up into the first-team last year and I’ve just loved every minute of Super League, it’s been an amazing journey so far.”

Foubister is still only 18 and often comes up against women who are 10 to 15 years older than her, but it is all part of the development of her game to make her a better player: both physically and mentally.

“You’ve got to know the challenge,” she added. “You’ve got to step up to it, so when you come in and train, you’ve got to train at full intensity, go your hardest against the more experienced players like Mary (Coleman), so you know what you are in for when you come up against players like Jodie Cunningham and Amy Hardcastle, so that you’re ready for it and prepared but it is tough, you’ve just got to step up to the challenge and take it all in.”

Foubister balances her hectic training and playing schedule with the Warriors alongside her studies at college - but she wouldn’t change a thing.

“To be fair college are quite supportive of me,” she added. “My mum says ‘college and education comes first’ but I say ‘rugby comes first!’. It’s all good and they work around you so it’s a good environment to be in to be honest.”

The Warriors got their 2025 campaign off to a flyer on Sunday afternoon, with Foubister scoring a hat-trick and kicking 11 goals, racking up a personal tally of 34 points, in a stunning 84-0 win over Barrow Raiders Ladies in the Challenge Cup at Robin Park Arena.

“I think our hard work in training over pre-season really showed in the game,” said Foubister. “It was a big scoreline and Barrow are a very hard and physical team, which they showed, but I felt like our experience and skill level has just grown and grown over pre-season and it showed today.

“The debutants went really well, they’ve done us proud. Look, the Aussies that have come over have got a lot of experience which has helped us, the comms have been good from them and T (Tiana Power) over on that wing, she’s class, she’s fast as a bullet, so she did us proud.”

Foubister has yet to make her international debut for England, but has been part of Stuart Barrow’s senior squad for several months now as she looks to take that next step in her flourishing career.

“Vegas was the best experience I could have asked for to be honest,” Foubister added. “I know England didn’t get the win and it was a bit of a bad scoreline (90-4), but I felt like the experience is what I need as I grow up and develop as a player, it’s just perfect to be in that surrounding and know what the professional life is like.”

Foubister and the Warriors are next in action this Sunday, with Betts’ side making a trip down to the capital to face London Broncos Ladies in the Challenge Cup group stages.