Scotland winger Francesca McGhie has joined Trailfinders Women ahead of the 2025/26 PWR season.
The recently turned 22-year-old joins from English top flight rivals Leicester Tigers where she has spent two years.
McGhie is renowned for her blistering pace and sharp footwork and now has 10 tries from 22 caps for her country and helped them win WXV 2 in 2023.
She is currently part of the 38-strong extended Scotland training squad that is building towards the Women’s Rugby World Cup later in the year.
McGhie said: “There’s a great ambition at Trailfinders Rugby and there are people and coaches here that I think can add to my game and I feel this is a team I can really develop with.
“I’m looking forward to joining up with the group and I’m excited to see what we can do together.”
Barney Maddison, the Trailfinders head coach, added: “Francesca is a hugely exciting talent with incredible potential.
“She’s already proven herself at the international level and her speed, agility, and attacking instincts will be a great asset for us. We’re delighted to have her on board.”
McGhie only took up rugby via East Lothian girls training in 2018 after a background in hockey, lacrosse and dancing, the latter seeing her involved with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland at the time.
However, once she picked up a rugby ball it soon became her sport of choice and, in 2021/22 in her first senior season, the former Loretto and George Watson’s College pupil scored a hat-trick of tries for Watsonians as they won the Tennent’s Premiership final against Hillhead Jordanhill.
By that time, she was well on the radar of the Scotland Futures and full Scotland coaches and scintillating form in the Celtic Challenge competition for the Thistles early in 2023 sealed the deal in terms of a call up to the main squad.
She made her Scotland debut versus England in the Six Nations of that year and McGhie’s rapid rise saw her nominated for World Rugby’s Breakthrough Player of the Year. She then went on to join the Tigers and has since kept improving.
Francesca McGhie is pictured
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