Christine Belisle has announced that she is retiring from international rugby after earning 42 caps for Scotland.
The 32-year-old Loughborough Lightning tighthead prop made the news public on Instagram on Friday evening, meaning that her last appearance in a dark blue shirt was against England in the Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final defeat to England in Bristol in September 2025. She started that 40-8 reverse and played 47 minutes.
Belisle – who had stepped back from things during the Guinness Women’s Six Nations earlier in the year – had originally not been selected in the squad for the showpiece event, but was brought in as a replacement for the injured Elliann Clarke for that match.
In 2015, Belisle travelled from Canada, where she had grown up, to Glasgow to attend a wedding – and little did she know at the time that it was going to be a life changing trip.
She ended up loving Scotland, staying here and getting back into rugby which she had played in her teens in Peterborough, Ontario.
Belisle joined Cartha Queens Park and, come 2019 after she had qualified to play for Scotland via residency, she was earning her first international cap on a tour to South Africa.
She earned her first few caps as a second-row/back-row before moving to tighthead prop in 2020, winning a penalty via her first scrum against France and becoming a key player in the number three jersey for a number of years.
Highlights included being part of the squad that won the WXV 2 title in 2023 in South Africa while, in total, the two-time World Cupper made 35 starts, seven sub appearances and scored one try for her country.
In the post announcing her international retirement, Scotland cap number 214 Belisle said: “Hi friends, I wanted to share that, after a lot of thought and consideration, I have made the decision to retire from international rugby.
“Following the heartbreak – and whirlwind! – I experienced last year, having the opportunity to play in a World Cup quarter-final with many of my closest friends and women who have been a part of my journey/the squad since I got my first cap in 2019 was a dream come true I didn’t think I’d see come to fruition.
“But, with the dust now fully settled, I’ve taken time to sit with all of it – the highs, the lows, where I am now plus where and how I want to move forward and I know this is it.
“Having that last time on the pitch with the squad is a memory I’ll cherish deeply and is the one I want to keep as my final run out in a Scotland shirt.
“I’ve always hoped to finish my career on my own terms and to be able to make this call and be really proud of my last – and 42nd! – cap gives me a real sense of peace.
“I knew that choosing to close this door was always going to be one of the most difficult decisions to make, but I’m confident that ending this chapter now is the right decision for me.
“So, I wanted to say thank you.
“Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my journey from the very start and held on during what was a real rollercoaster more recently.
“Thank you for sticking with me, picking me up and cheering me on and keeping me company on the ride.
“I’m very lucky to carry so many incredible memories from my time in the shirt and I feel unbelievably fortunate to have represented Scotland, doing the thing I love most with some of my best friends.
“What’s next?
“There’s so much good coming – in my own life, with my business Strong Friends Club and for the game I love – and I can’t wait to continue to share it with you!
“Women’s rugby is growing, evolving and pushing boundaries every day and I can’t wait to give back to the game I love and continue to cheer the girls on from the other side while I chase new goals and try my hand at new things.
“And if I can leave you with anything, it’s to remember to always work hard, be kind, have fun and stay weird.
“With love, Christine Belisle.”
Christine Belisle is pictured