“From a quiet, shy, no clue what I’m doing beginner player to gobby fly half, it’s impossible It’s impossible to pick just one woman to highlight when I think about my grassroots rugby journey. Every single person I’ve watched, played with or coached alongside has influenced me in some way.

“Being part of such a supportive squad allowed me to shine while also learning the quirks of the game; making mistakes, learning from them, and growing in an environment that constantly pushed me to improve and aim higher. Now I try to pass those lessons on to newer players and support their journeys from a leadership position.

“Helping coach the girls’ team at Dunfermline and watching them go through the same behaviours and confidence struggles I once had – then seeing them completely overcome those challenges – is something that’s hard to put into words.”

“Seeing some of my former teammates go on to incredible opportunities with Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Women, competing at such a high level, is so exciting not just for me, but for the young girls coming through the ranks. I absolutely love it!”

Elis Martin during a Scotland Women’s Rugby training session at Peffermill Playing Fields, on June 03, 2025, in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Elis Martin, Scotland international

“When I think about the theme of ‘Give to Gain’ I think the women in my life who have given so much to me would be the women in our management and medical team at Scottish Rugby, past and present.

“Just to name a few; Flo, Ellen, Josie, Lara, Morag, Eilidh, Emma, Mhairi and Fiona. These women have lives and commitments of their own, kids and grandkids, but they have had to sacrifice time with them to work with us to make sure that we can succeed in this sport.

“Individually, the support I’ve received from Josie and Flo in particular has been unmatched and you just don’t get care like that anywhere else in the world. The sacrifices and choices they have made to help us perform the way that we do is unbelievable, and no doubt it’s because of that platform they give us to do so. The reason we stand as high as we do is because we stand on their shoulders.”

Emma Orr, Scotland international

“A woman in my life who truly epitomises the ‘Give to Gain’ theme for International Women’s Day is my mum. She is the most incredible woman I know. She works tirelessly on the farm and supports me, my three siblings, and my dad through her constant generosity, strength, and collaboration.

“She’s our Wonder Woman and somehow manages to do it all. She’s always the first person to step in and help others as they work towards their goals. For me, she is my absolute rock, and I know she is that for so many other people too. I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today without her support and inspiration – I’ve always wanted to be like her.”

Kaeli King and her Watsonians teamates celebrate at full-time as they are crowned Sarah Beaney Cup Champions during the Sarah Beaney Cup Final between Hillhead Jordanhill v Watsonian during Silver Saturday at Scottish Gas Murrayfield in 2025.

Kaeli King, Watsonian FC

“Charlotte Runcie was a huge part of the reason I joined the club. I knew her from the sevens circuit, she has such infectious energy. Even though she has retired from playing she has been doing a strength and conditioning programme for the last few seasons for the team, and she does this in her own time. Something I’ll say about her is she always has time for anyone who has a question, or who’s skill level isn’t quite there yet, she wants us all to be better. I really admire how supportive she is of all the women on the team.

“Additionally our physio Fi Robertson, she has been the biggest reason I’ve been able to get back to playing from injuries. Within her role she goes above and beyond for us in terms of working with health professionals, listening to us, giving up her time and weekends. That kind of support in sport is invaluable.”

The post International Women’s Day | Give to Gain appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

With 20 hubs selected for the inaugural programme in 2018, it has expanded year on year, with 57 hubs confirmed across Scotland this year.  

Alastair Chalmers, East Regional Manager at Scottish Rugby said: “Tartan Touch continues to play a significant role in our participation pathway, providing clubs with a flexible and engaging way to grow the game during the summer months. 

“The success of the programme is driven by the dedication of our club volunteers, whose commitment ensures sessions are welcoming, inclusive and accessible to people of all ages and abilities. Through their efforts, Tartan Touch not only introduces new participants to rugby, but also strengthens the connection between clubs and their local communities. 

“We’re looking forward to seeing another strong season as clubs across Scotland once again bring Tartan Touch to life.” 

Sign-ups for sessions will be opening soon, so keep an eye out for more information.  

Full list of Tartan Touch hubs:  

Caledonia: 

• Aberdeen Grammar 

• Deeside Rugby Club 

• Ellon Rugby Club 

• Glen Urquhart Rugby Football Club 

• Peterhead RFC 

• Ross Sutherland 

• Bannockburn Rugby Football Club 

• Carnoustie HSFP Rugby Club 

• Dundee Rugby Club 

• Dunfermline Rugby Club 

• Falkirk Rugby Club 

• Howe of Fife RFC 

• Kinross Rugby Club 

• Kirkcaldy 

• Madras Rugby Club 

• McLaren RFC 

• Panmure RFC 

East: 

• Currie Chieftains 

• Dalkeith RFC 

• Forrester Rugby Club 

• Lasswade RFC 

• Leith Rugby Club 

• Linlithgow Rugby Club 

• Livingston Rugby Club 

• Penicuik Rugby Football Club 

• Portobello RFC 

• Dunbar RFC 

• Duns RFC 

• Gala Rugby Club 

• Haddington RFC 

• Jed Thistle RFC 

• Kelso Rugby Football Club 

• Musselburgh RFC 

• North Berwick RFC 

• Peebles 

• Ross High Rugby Club 

• West Linton Lions RFC

West: 

• Allan Glen’s 

• Cartha Queens Park 

• Dalziel Rugby Club 

• East Kilbride RFC 

• Hillhead Jordanhill RFC 

• Isle of Mull 

• Loch Lomond Rugby Club 

• Strathaven Rugby Club 

• Uddingston Rugby Club 

• Waysiders Drumpellier RFC 

• Whitecraigs Rugby Club 

• Annan Rugby Club 

• Carrick RFC 

• Cumnock RFC 

• Dumfries Saints  

• Irvine Rugby Club 

• Marr RFC 

• Moffat Rugby Club 

• Paisley RFC 

• Stewartry RFC 

The post Tartan Touch returns this summer with hubs confirmed across the country appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

The new space is estimated to cost around £1.4 million and will include additional changing rooms, an office space, a fully equipped kitchen, and multi-purpose spaces for community groups and club functions.

The Dumfriesshire-based club has been an integral part of the town since the late 1960s and now boasts a strong youth, women’s and men’s section and offers walking rugby. However, with the expansion of their women and girls programme in the recent years, the need for additional changing facilities and a social space has risen.

The biggest contributor for their growth in the game has been appointment of a youth development officer eight years ago. The reliable and positive work of Nicole Jancey has been a conduit for successful relationships with 13 primary schools and Annan Academy. Through the extension and refurbishment, the club is hopeful the women’s programme will expand even further, as well as meet the demand of their ever-growing boy’s section.

To cover the remaining costs of the upgrades, the club will be looking to sell their clubhouse in town and have applied for sportscotland backing in addition to applying for funding from charitable organisations within the local community.

The club are hoping to break ground in early 2027 and will enhance their facilities by creating a space for members to gather outside of rugby.

Scottish Rugby’s Growth & Participation Fund allows clubs to build on existing activities that make a big difference to rugby in the local community, reaffirming the commitment to supporting clubs and aiding in the development and transformation of facilities.

President and Chairman of Annan RFC, Neil Moffat, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be receiving this funding from Scottish Rugby. It’s a massive step forward for Annan Rugby Club and will make a real difference to what we can offer both on and off the pitch. The new facilities will give us the space to grow, improve the experience for our players and volunteers, and facilitate further engagement with the local community. It’s a really exciting time for everyone in the town and those involved with the club.

“We believe this facility would be the missing link to the engagement of players, parents, supports and sponsors which will ensure a sustainable future for Annan Rugby.”

Scottish Rugby’s Director of Rugby Development, Gavin Scott, added: “The Growth & Participation: Club Sustainability Fund was established to help community-centred clubs like Annan RFC continue to grow, thrive and make long lasting impact in their communities. We look forward to seeing their vision come to life through the support of the fund.”

The post Annan RFC to receive £250,000 boost from Growth & Participation Fund appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

Former Parachute Regiment soldier turned Paralympian Scott Meenagh has been announced as a guest speaker.

Scott Meenagh is a former Parachute Regiment soldier turned Paralympian. After losing both legs in Afghanistan in 2011, he rebuilt his life through sport and has since represented Great Britain in Para Nordic skiing and biathlon at the Winter Paralympic Games in PyeongChang and Beijing. He won a historic World Championship silver in 2023 and will compete at the Winter Paralympics in Milano Cortina this month.

A proud Scot from Cumbernauld, Scott brings a powerful perspective on resilience, leadership and teamwork, shaped by both military service and elite sport. As a youngster, he also played rugby competitively, representing Cumbernauld, West of Scotland and Scotland Under 18s.

Other guest speakers and club development workshop themes have been confirmed, with Caroline Blair as host.

Every attendee at this year’s event will receive a free coffee mug, courtesy of Scottish Rugby partners YETI.

If you are interested in registering, you can sign up now via SCRUMS.

Registration is free of charge with an optional donation to the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.

Further Community Game Conference details will be confirmed in due course.

The post Community Game Conference guest speakers and programme announced appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

Greenock Wanderers Rugby Football Club has been named the Scottish Winner with this honour recognising the club’s commitment to growing women’s and girls’ rugby, fostering community spirit, and creating opportunities for players and coaches at every level.

The award, now in its second year, will provide funding to the latest cohort of successful clubs; Lancaster Lionesses (England), Buccaneers (Ireland), Greenock RFC (Scotland) and Ynysddu BG RFC (Wales). The Championing Women & Girls’ Rugby Award goes to a winning club in each home union who receive a trophy and a £10k grant to invest in their women and girls’ rugby programmes. The award is a flagship element of Royal London’s broader partnership with The British & Irish Lions includes a ‘Levelling the Playing Field’ investment of £3 million, designed to inspire more women and girls to participate in rugby and to foster equality and opportunity at every level of the game.

It was only two and a half years ago, that Greenock RFC launched their Girls Rugby programme to build a strong pipeline of young talent. Girls as young as seven and women into their late forties now play for Greenock Wanderers, with mothers and daughters sharing the pitch and players travelling from across the region to be part of their rugby family. They are committed to ensuring that the physical and financial barriers to joining the club are as low as possible.

They provide a Scholarship Programme which waives membership fees and buys kit for those who need it to participate. They try to encourage women who are having or have had children to stay in the sport for longer through their Maternity Policy for Players, which pauses their subscription payments whilst they are pregnant or on maternity leave, provides increased help from physios and coaches to return to playing safely, and provides a safe breastfeeding space at the club for both players and supporters.

Beverley Addison, Vice President of Rugby and Director of Women and Girls Rugby at Greenock Wanders, said: “Winning the Championing Women & Girls Rugby Award is not just an honour—it’s an opportunity. Women & Girls Rugby has become a cornerstone of Greenock Wanderers, and this award is a testament to the dedication of our players, coaches, volunteers, and supporters and the £10,000 grant will help us upskill our junior and senior players and coaches, enhance our facilities, and continue to provide a welcoming, supportive environment for all. Most importantly, it shows our girls that their dreams are supported not just by our club, but by the wider rugby community.

“From our humble beginnings 12 years ago, our Women’s Section has grown rapidly, now fielding both a 1XV and a 2XV team—the only club outside a major Scottish city to do so. Our ambition is to reach the Premiership within the next five years, and this recognition brings us a step closer to that goal. Our young girls now dream of being Lions, and it is just amazing to think that one day one of them might just get there. We could not be more thankful for this amazing award.”

Susie Logan, Group Chief Marketing Officer at Royal London comments: “As founding partner of The British & Irish Lions Women’s team, we’re proud to continue to work with the Lions on our Championing Women’s & Girls Rugby Awards. The decision of which club to award in each of the unions is getting more difficult as there are so many amazing applications. The amount of work, time and effort being put in across women’s and girls’ rugby clubs by coaches, players, parents and club volunteers is phenomenal. We are committed to nurturing sporting talent that will shape the future of women’s rugby, and I can’t wait to see what the winning clubs will do with the funds to make a difference to their players and their communities.”

The post Greenock Wanderers RFC Secures Royal London Funding appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

The club also initiated a fund for anyone joining the club to assist with the cost of kit or membership. It means one less hurdle for a member, ensuring they have the same opportunity to play and enjoy rugby.

On the same tack, changes in teams and sponsors from season to season meant that some kit had become obsolete, so the club gathered the old kit and devised a plan to extend its club ethos to include overseas projects, which would benefit from the surplus.

Contact was made with former local Jennie Camm, who now lives in Arusha, Tanzania and has a connection with a local primary school. Shortly thereafter, the club’s involvement with the Albatros Kilimatembo School Project began.

Kilimatembo School accommodates 405 children with 13 teachers. The Albatros school project began in February, 2015, with the aim of making Kilimatembo School brighter, child-friendly and healthier.

The Albatros projects improve schools by renovating and constructing new classrooms and computer rooms, and improves school sanitation by providing safe water sources such as water reserve tank installation.

This was where Dumfries Saints was able to help. Worldwide, giving children the opportunity to participate in sport, allows them to learn important lessons in working as a team, anger management and prioritising a healthy lifestyle.

Recently, the Saints youth shirts were washed, packed in a large suitcase and shipped off to Tanzania for use by the children. Photos returned to the club showed the kit had landed and the beaming smiles of the schoolkids.

The post Dumfries Saints live up to their name with Tanzania kit donation appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

The campaign will engage children in the P7-S4 (8–14-year-olds) age range as the future of our game by focusing content on getting to know the sport through the lens of fun, and breaking down potential barriers of intimidation and exclusion by showing that rugby is for everyone.

Parents and carers of those children will also be engaged through meaningful human-interest stories, highlighting the benefits to rugby, in the words of the young people who currently play the game. Themes from these stories include friendship, community, inclusion, mental health, strength, and fitness, to name a few.

The ultimate aim is to ignite a curiosity in rugby and for those parents and caregivers to sign their children up to one of the more than 30 Turn Up and Play events taking place across Scotland in the coming months.

Delivered by Scottish Rugby’s regional teams and development officers, these events strip the game back to what matters most: fun, friendship, and giving it a go. More information on the events can be found here: https://scottishrugby.org/turn-up-play/

Club Rugby Board president, Hazel Swankie said:

“We’re really excited about working with more schools than ever to run fun, safe rugby programmes where kids can give the game a go, make friends, and build new skills.

“The aim of the game here is to ignite the interest of the next generation of players, the next Francesca McGhie, the next Finn Russell, and ultimately continue to build our great game in Scotland.”

Scottish Rugby’s Director of Rugby Development, Gav Scott said:

“Growing the game in all corners of Scotland is one of our core goals in Rugby Development, and this new campaign is a new and exciting way of us doing that.

“In a way, we’re testing the waters here with an audience we rarely speak with, and I really look forward to see how the Turn Up and Play initiatives resonate with this younger generation.”

The post Scottish Rugby to ignite passion for next generation appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

Take our schools resource with you and complete it with your classmates to get to know our team better and follow their campaign as they take on the best teams in the world. By the end of the resource, you’ll be able to:

• Find out more about our Scotland superstars
• Discover our opponents, their team colours and logos
• Learn more about the game of rugby, its rules and points
• Enter competitions which could see you win some awesome prizes
• And loads more!

To download the resources, just click on the items you want to complete below and they’ll be ready for you in a flash.

We hope you have a great time completing these resources and can show your love and support for our team as they take on a World Cup campaign!

GO SCOTLAND!

Club & Schools Resources

Schools Curricular Pack

Use the link below to access promotional materials that you can share on your club’s social channels and at events to show your support for Scotland Women. There are general SR branded version and templates which can be updated with club colours and images.

Below is an example of adding a club logo & club colour to a template.

4×5 Social Template

9×16 Social Template

A4 Poster Template

Web Banner Template

Generic SR Branded Assets

Canva Templates

Check out our latest Club Spotlight videos – focusing on the growth of women and girls rugby around the country.

The post Women’s Rugby World Cup Clubs & School Resources appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

The their existing facilities, including the clubhouse, changing rooms, gym facilities and other communal spaces.

Scottish Gas used the survey results to pinpoint areas where community clubs could improve and where costs were too high. They then worked closely with the clubs to develop plans for reducing these expenses. The funding awarded to each club will now be used to tackle the specific issues identified in the survey.

Scottish Rugby’s Area Director for Caledonia, Rudi Urbach said the clubs will “benefit significantly” from the partnership and work been undertaken with Scottish Gas.

“The process we have in place for a key partner like Scottish Gas to directly engage clubs has been both meaningful and rewarding. We have a programme which is laying the foundations for a move to net zero for our communities, positioning rugby clubs as leaders in this space.

Early evidence and survey data suggests that rugby clubs could realise material savings as they start considering the various options for changing behaviours and physical adaptations to their facilities the programme is offering; and that can only be viewed as a big step forward.”

Strathmore RFC business development manager Nic Welsh said:

“It’s so important that clubs like Strathmore improve their facilities so they can continue to be safe places for everyone in the community. Things like installing sustainable heating and reducing energy bills ease the financial pressure for the club so it can focus on its core purpose of supporting people of all abilities and ages to connect and grow through movement.”

Karim Awadia, Regional Manager for Net Zero Community Engagement at Scottish Gas, said: “Many sports facilities in Scotland were built decades ago and are now in need of retrofitting to meet modern sustainability requirements. At Scottish Gas, we’re working with local community clubs across the country to provide expert advice on energy efficiency, while implementing measures and building improvements, such as insulation and appropriate ventilation, to reduce consumptions.”

To find out more about the Scottish Gas Net Zero fund, head to this webpage.

Scottish Gas Net Zero awarded clubs:

• Alloa RFC
• Ardrossan Academicals RFC
• Ayr RFC
• Biggar RFC
• Cartha Queens Park RFC
• Corstorphine Cougars
• Falkirk RFC
• Garioch RFC
• Grangemouth RFC
• Greenock RFC
• Hawick RFC
• Linlithgow RFC
• Lismore RFC
• Livingston RFC
• Moffat RFC
• Moray RFC
• Musselburgh RFC
• Orkney RFC
• Selkirk RFC
• Strathmore RFC
• Waysiders Drumpellier RFC
• West of Scotland

The post 22 rugby clubs benefit from share of £300,000 via Scottish Gas appeared first on Scottish Rugby.