Key Facts
| Squad | Worcester |
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| Position | Wing |
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| Age | 27 |
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| Height | 1.73m (5'8") |
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| Weight | 72kg (11st 4lb) |
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| Caps | 48 |
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Speed should be the middle name of Katherine Merchant, who has the stunning strike rate of 41 Test tries in 48 appearances, including four in the 46-8 Nations Cup victory over South Africa at Appleby College, Ontario in August 2011. She completed a 64-minute hat trick and added her fourth three minutes from the end. Kat also crossed the Canada line in the final that the Red Roses won 41-19 and was quick to open her 2012 Six Nations account with two against Scotland at Lasswade RFC last February.
She played off the bench for Ruth Laybourn and helped England to beat Italy 32-8 in the second FIRA-AER European Cup match in Rovereto last May and was a try-scorer in the 29-25 triumph over France in the final. Kat also relished sharing in the two Test victories over New Zealand at Twickenham and Esher in November 2011.
She has spent 11 years with Worcester where she started in the U16 team along the route to caps at England U19, A team and Sevens levels.
Kat has captained Worcester, West Midlands and the national U19 side and also coached at Wasps, having previously worked as a personal trainer in Birmingham. Kat is now an office administrator for ALP in Amersham. She had attended Prince Henry’s High School in Evesham, Oldfield Academy in Bath, Bredon Hill Middle School and the University of Birmingham where she gained a degree in Sport & Exercise Science.
Her experience includes Sevens appearances in the World Cup in Dubai and in the San Diego tournament. Overall, she has figured in five events at Sevens for England and run in 18 tries. She was her country’s top scorer with six in the World Series tournament in China in late March this year.
Kat said: “I owe a lot to Nicky Crawford, the Worcester and England Women’s wing, who nurtured my game from when I was 16. I also admire her on field performances.” Nicky became the first women’s player to score 60 international tries. She added: “I also respect Josh Lewsey.”
Nothing beats Kat’s first cap. She said: “It was an away match against Ireland in the 2005 Six Nations. I was 19, had ten minutes on the field and scored a try with my first touch of the ball.” Outside the game, she enjoys playing the bass guitar.
Last updated: April 5, 2013
