Scotland head coach Bryan Easson has hailed the “exceptional” way back-row Alex Stewart has dealt with her recent double diagnosis to return to top level rugby.
In April, midway through the Guinness Women’s Six Nations, the 21-year-old from Corstorphine Cougars and Edinburgh Rugby talent was diagnosed with diabetes just days after the doctors had also confirmed she has coeliac disease.
Type 1 diabetes is a condition which means your body cannot make a hormone called insulin. This causes the level of glucose in your blood to get too high.
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. Following a gluten-free diet helps control symptoms and prevents long-term complications from the condition.
It was a lot for her to take on board and she missed rounds four and five of the competition too.
She has since worked hard with Scotland team backroom staff members – and experts – Morag Robertson, Florence Laing and Lara Harrison to get her head around things and get back to her best with the Women’s Rugby Word Cup just around the corner.
Last week she earned international cap number 12 off the bench in the Summer Test defeat to Italy and did well, but even that was not a smooth day.
“It’s a massive privilege to be back on the pitch with the thistle,” she said on social media this week.
“It wasn’t an easy day with a ‘hypo’ [hypoglycaemia or low blood sugar occurs when the level of glucose in the blood drops too low and is linked to diabetes] in the warm up and not the result we wanted.
“But I was supported by the best people and I couldn’t have returned to the place I am without them.”
Stewart will start on Saturday in the Summer Test versus Ireland in Cork (2pm kick-off, live on BBC iPlayer) and head coach Bryan Easson said of her: “She is exceptional.
“I think ever since she had the double diagnosis she’s obviously been very well looked after. I can’t speak highly enough of our medical department. They have just been tremendous in terms of the education around what it looks like if you do have a hypo and she knows how to deal with it, she knows how to cope.
“They’ve got everything in place. I think she’s just taken it in her stride.
“I think that probably suggests why she’s moved so quickly back onto the pitch. In the Six Nations, it was just diagnosed and it was very, very difficult for her.
“But over a short space of time, she’s managed to cope with the adversity of, one, the double diagnosis, and, two, to understand what that means for a high-performing athlete and for somebody like that to have, I suppose, that little blip before the game that a hypo is, get on with it and then perform.
“I thought the whole bench were outstanding last week when they came on and for her to perform the way she did was excellent and so good to see. Rachel McLachlan has moved to six for this game so just to have those two starting in a back-row together brings a hell of an energy to the back-row.”
Scotland squad to play Ireland: Chloe Rollie; Rhona Lloyd, Emma Orr, Lisa Thomson, Lucia Scott; Hannah Ramsay, Caity Mattinson; Anne Young, Lana Skeldon, Elliann Clarke, Emma Wassell, Rachel Malcolm (C), Rachel McLachlan, Alex Stewart, Evie Gallagher. Subs: Elis Martin, Leah Bartlett, Molly Poolman, Adelle Ferrie, Eva Donaldson, Leia Brebner-Holden, Beth Blacklock, Coreen Grant.
Tickets for Scotland-England at Murrayfield in April 2026 can be purchased here.
Alex Stewart is pictured alongside Caity Mattinson singing the national anthem before the Italy game – thanks to Ruby Adam Photography
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