There are good try scoring records and there are really good try scoring records.
Annan’s Jane Haren, the 30-year-old full-back, certainly has one of the latter as she has scored 156 tries in 97 appearances for the club’s women’s Warriors team.
And during the 2025/26 season – in December – one of her many brilliant finishes finally won the Scottish Rugby’s women’s try of the month award.
“It was nice to finally come out on top in that category,” Jane laughed.
“My previous submission during the season in October came in second place so it was nice to get just a wee nudge ahead, win the award and, of course, receive a lovely trophy and a bottle of fizz a couple of months later.
“The try that won the award came in our final league fixture just before Christmas away to Hamilton.
“Having looked at the weather, it was touch and go if the fixture would go ahead and, in the end, it was probably one of the wettest and muddiest games we’d played in for a while.
“Indeed, it was so muddy we couldn’t tell the two teams’ shirts apart, but it was a cracking shift from everyone.
“For the try, in typical Warriors’ style, we managed to ship it wide and a loop then a great pop pass from Kirsty Barlow gave us some space and room to stretch the legs. It was a really well-worked try from the backs.”
In the end, Annan won that game 40-10 with a bonus point and finished third in Arnold Clark West Two.
They also made it to the National Plate semi-final before being edged out 8-7 by eventual leaders Lenzie. Jane was named the Annan women’s team’s players’ player of the year at the end of the season.
This coming campaign they will be in West One and their first game will at home to Stewartry on September 6.
Growing up in Annan, Jane was always sporty and had a passion at school for hockey and athletics before moving on to study sport development at college and university.
“I then attended the first women’s rugby session and was part of the reforming Annan women’s squad in 2014 when I was in my late teens,” she explained.
“At that time, it was the first experience of rugby for most of us and we started off in the National Development League [now known as the Aspiring League] and we gained valuable game time and skills and knowledge playing against other new and developing teams.
“A natural progression led us to our first competitive games in a league.
“At that time there were very few women’s teams around Scotland meaning a lot of travelling to fulfil fixtures and get game time.
“The overall Annan club has always been the biggest supporters of our achievements as a team. It’s more like a family, where everyone chips in and creates a safe and inclusive environment for everyone involved.
“Whenever new people arrive or more experienced players take time out for jobs or family reasons, everyone is warmly welcomed in. There’s always a way for everyone to stay in touch or be involved from fixtures to social events and I have made so many friends at the club.
“Indeed, I met my husband Sean, a former Annan first team player, through the club and we now have two kids Jack and Maeve.”
So, what have been try scorer Jane’s highlights at Annan to date?
“It has got to be winning the National Plate final at Murrayfield in 2024/25,” Jane stated.
“The whole club was just beaming for us and I was proud to be part of such an achievement. The team, coaches and team managers put their all into making that such a memorable experience.
“I also broke through the 150 try mark last season against Marr and to have played nearly 100 games for the club is special too.”
Jane Haren is pictured flanked by Annan development officer Nicole Jancey and women’s team captain Ashley Clark with her end of season players’ player of the year award and she is also pictured playing
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