Family pride for Kayleigh the Chief

The amazing rugby journey of Kayleigh Armstrong has reached a particularly special juncture for the whole family.
Kayleigh’s dad, Bob Armstrong, is an absolute legend of the game, having starred for Exeter Chiefs, Plymouth Albion, Bristol and, of course, Exmouth Rugby Club.
Kayleigh is following a similar pathway and has already made a terrific impact with the Exeter Chiefs’ Women’s team, which is enjoying their first season in the Premier Division of the English game
“I am born and bred in Exmouth, you can’t really get much more local than me,” said Kayleigh. “My dad played for the Chiefs and Exmouth, and I also used to play for Exmouth.
“When I first started playing, the closest women’s team was Cullompton, so I played for them. I’ve also played for Topsham and it was during my time at Exeter University that I got noticed.
“I was invited to the South-West trials and played for the Bristol Bears in the Premiership.
“I had actually stopped playing for Bristol for a bit as I also work as a teacher, returning to Cullompton for a while.
“When the opportunity with the Chiefs came about, it was amazing for me and my family.
“As a local girl who has watched my dad play for the Chiefs and I’ve been a fan all my life, it is very special to play for them in the first season of their women’s team.
“My dad is obviously very proud and I actually found a photo of him playing his last season for the Chiefs 20 years ago, so it is quite a nice coincidence that I’m playing my first season for them 20 years later.
“It is definitely something special to go from watching him as a little girl to now be playing for the Chiefs.
“It has been our first season in the Premier Division and obviously challenging to build a team during a pandemic.
“Considering we’ve been together for just over six months, the players have gelled together brilliantly as a squad, from the top international players through to the apprentices.
“We are currently on a two-week break and then the league will hopefully resume on January 30.”