Stowell joined Bristol City Women aged 12 and played with her local club for seven years before moving to Southampton Saints. With Southampton, Stowell played in the 1999 FA Women's Cup final. She was a full-time professional player with Fulham from 2000 until 2003. Stowell later played for Bristol City Ladies again, Arsenal Ladies and Leeds United Ladies. Stowell joined Leicester City after a period of inactivity after childbirth and an ACL injury. She captained Leicester to third place in the 2009-10 FA Women's Premier League Northern Division, then retired at the end of the season.
She married former Wolves goalkeeper Mike Stowell in June 2009, following the birth of their daughter in April of the previous year. The two married whilst they both were in Leicester. Rachel being a Leicester City Women's player and her husband, Mike Stowell, being the goalkeeping coach at Leicester City FC
