David Raya, from training at Edge Hill University to Premier League glory
David Raya’s journey to becoming a Premier League champion and an established international saw Edge Hill University play a part in his early career development.
In September 2014, a then 19-year-old Raya joined Southport on loan from Blackburn Rovers, taking his first steps into senior men’s football at Conference level having moved to England in 2012 to sign for Rovers’ academy. Southport, then in the fifth tier, used Edge Hill’s campus as their training facility, with the young Spaniard becoming an important member of the first-team set-up.
Raya went onto establish himself as Blackburn’s number one at Ewood Park, helping Rovers to promotion back to the Championship in 2017/18. He then swapped East Lancashire for West London in July 2019, signing for Brentford, where he would reach the Premier League with the Bees in May 2021.
Raya’s form attracted interest from Arsenal, managed by fellow Spaniard, Mikel Arteta, who secured his services in August 2023 initially on loan before the move was made permanent for £27m a year later.
The 30-year-old, who is in the squad for the FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, has gone onto excel for club and country. Raya was a member of Spain’s victorious UEFA Euro 2024 team and has now added a Premier League medal as an Arsenal player after their first title since the Invincibles of 22-years ago, during a season in which he made crucial match-winning saves and won the division’s Golden Glove with 19 clean sheets.
From training at Edge Hill with Southport to a Premier League champion with international recognition, it has been a rise to remember for Raya.
Edge Hill support Lancashire Cricket Foundation’s Girls into the Game programme
Edge Hill University are supporting Lancashire Cricket Foundation’s Girls into the Game festivals, an initiative to introduce girls into cricket.
The official charity of Lancashire County Cricket Club has used Edge Hill University’s world-class facility on campus in their Girls into the Game delivery for youngsters in West Lancashire.
In partnership with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the festivals provide a fun and engaging way to learn the fundamentals of playing cricket.
Working with 20 local schools and cricket clubs across the county, Girls into the Game creates opportunities for girls to get into the sport, with a view to remaining in cricket.
Stuart Naden, Lancashire Cricket Foundation’s Cricket Development Officer, has praised the “superb venue” at Edge Hill, with two sessions taking place in the Sports Hall in January.
“Edge Hill have been amazing, we work closely with Endeavour, one of the partners in West Lancashire, so we’ve been able to bridge that gap and allowing us to run something in curriculum time, it’s a superb venue and hopefully we will be able to use it more,” Naden explained.
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup began on Friday, with matches scheduled at Emirates Old Trafford. Naden has been pleased to see the success of the “amazing” festivals, which have been attended by Lancashire’s women’s team players.
Naden continued: “As part of the Women’s World Cup and being a host nation, we are looking to promote and grow the game nationwide. Our county decided that we wanted to support as many clubs as possible within the area, so we came together and decided that we put these festivals on around the county, in my region of Merseyside and West Lancashire we have got six festivals running over a six week period, two of which were at Edge Hill, one for St Helens and one for Ormskirk, so they have supported eight new girls sections.
“The girls that attend these sessions will get free access to our national programmes which is Girls Dynamos, and they will all be run at these clubs around the region, on top of that we will look to upskill volunteers to get them ready run the sessions, whether it be coaching badges, activator courses, this will allow them to run the sessions but also become more sustainable.”
RFL Women’s Nines Festival heads to Edge Hill University
Edge Hill University welcomed rugby league clubs from across the country on Saturday 2nd May for The Rugby Football League’s (RFL) Women’s Nines Festival.
Held at the University’s state-of-the-art sporting facilities, the Women’s Nines festival celebrated the female rugby league, which included Challenge and Community Grade tournaments.
On a thrilling afternoon in Ormskirk, Leeds Rhinos secured the Women’s Nines Challenge Grade championship, defeating Manchester Swinton Lionesses in the Grand Final, winning the trophy for the first time since 2023.
Local sides St Helens and Wigan Warriors participated in the competition, with the Cherry and Whites’ academy winning the Challenge Grade Shield, overcoming York Valkyrie in the Final to take the shield back to Wigan.
In the Community Grade, Rochdale Hornets were crowned champions, overcoming Bradford Bulls’ development team and Wigan St Patricks lifted the Community Grade Shield as they narrowly beat local side, Thatto Heath Crusaders.
England Women Head Coach Stuart Barrow was in attendance to present the trophies and medals. He reflected on a “brilliant” day at Edge Hill University.
Barrow said: “It’s been brilliant, you’ve had a mixture of the community players here along with the professional clubs as well. The facilities here at Edge Hill have led to an absolutely amazing day and we thank Edge Hill for hosting this, and we’ve seen some amazing women’s rugby on show, and some young players coming through as well.
“Rugby league is one big community, and we saw teams cheering on other teams, it just felt like a really fun day, with some serious rugby played. “The growth in the women’s game is evident, there’s girls playing from 17 right through to open age all of great quality, and we know there’s another generation below waiting to come through, so days like this encourage people, we had a big crowd watching and it can spread the word of the women’s and girls’ game. It’s really inspiring and we always remember those who have gone before us and paved the way, but now we’re trying to attract a new generation and days like this really help.”
Edge Hill students feature in Women’s Challenge Cup Final
Edge Hill University students were in action under the iconic Wembley Stadium arch as Wigan Warriors Women and St Helens Women contested the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup Final on Saturday 30th May.
Both North-West teams, just nine miles apart, have Edge Hill students in their ranks, including Player of the Match, Warriors’ Jenna Foubister, who is completing a degree in BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science. with Wigan retaining the trophy after defeating the Red V 54-6 in an emphatic display on a sun-kissed day in the capital.
On an afternoon to remember for the 19-year-old stand-off, she delivered a superb performance in cherry and white colours for her hometown club.
Foubister told Sky Sports: “I’m absolutely buzzing for the girls and for the team, we have done ourselves, our families and the club proud in that win.
“Going into this season, we knew that we were going to get chased, winning all three last year, we know that’s a thing that we have got to expect and we want to step up to the challenge. It was much harder and physical, and they (St Helens) gave us a hard game out there, especially on that pitch.
“At Wigan, this is just the start of something new for us, and it’s great to see how we’ve all been playing and training this past year, and it’s exciting stuff for us.”
Along with Player of the Match Foubister, Edge Hill were also represented on Women’s Challenge Cup Final day by her Wigan team-mates, Izzy Rowe and Ruby Hunter who both study BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science, whilst Alyx Bridge, BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy, was a part of the St Helens side.
Showcasing their talent on the national stage, with aims to represent England in the 2026 Women’s Rugby League World Cup, which will be held later this year in Australia, New Zealand and Papa New Guinea, it is an exciting time for Edge Hill’s contingent of women’s rugby league players.
June 12, 2026
