Last Sunday a number of the current Scotland squad members were at a play in Edinburgh called 90 Days which looks back at the history of women’s rugby north of the border and how the country put together and hosted the 1994 Rugby World Cup at short notice.
Like most who attended the run at the Traverse Theatre just off Lothian Road between Friday and Sunday, the players were blown away by the show.
Told through the eyes of the players from the early/mid 1990s, the production discovers how Scotland’s first women’s rugby team was created, how their dream of playing against the best teams in the world are dashed and how Scotland became the unlikely saviours of the World Cup 30 years ago.
The story lifts the lid on the huge challenges and prejudice the women’s game faced in the early years.
Thirty years on, 90 Days celebrates the positive changes in women’s rugby that have been seen in the last three decades.
“The play was so good,” centre Lisa Thomson enthused.
“It was quite emotional, actually. We talk about what we want to do in the shirt and leaving it in a better place and it’s nice to hear more about the origins of the women’s game in Scotland and the trailblazers who were part of it.
“It was emotional as I say and it was cool to be in the same room as people who literally started it for us. I feel like we owe them a lot.”
“It was great and it was actually quite emotional,” said vice-captain Helen Nelson.
“There was a decent bunch of us who went along and it was so cool to see. I’ve heard bits and bobs of the story about them organising the World Cup before, but to actually see it and hear all the details – and to have some of the old girls there and get to chat to them and get photos – it was really special.”
In the play Dani Heron plays Scotland cap number three Sue Brodie, Caitlin Forbes plays cap number six Sandra Colamartino, Ava MacKinnon plays cap number eight Anny (da Silva) Freitas, Yana Harris plays cap number 11 Kim Littlejohn and John Kielty plays coach Mark Francis.
Thanks to Ramsay Jones for the photos from 90 Days
During the Guinness Women’s Six Nations period through to the end of April, GH Media will be covering all aspects of women’s rugby in Scotland via reports, features and interviews…
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