Edinburgh Rugby, Glasgow Warriors and Scottish Rugby have recently handed out a number of awards to female rugby players and others involved in the women’s game as 2024/25 comes to an end.
At the Edinburgh awards evening, Hannah Walker was named It’s Good 2 Give Women’s Player of the Season following an impressive campaign for the club’s women’s team.
The winger’s prolific try scoring saw her notch up 11 tries, finishing as the Celtic Challenge top try scorer whilst being a vice-captain for the team.
This accolade caps a successful year for her as she was also named in the Women’s BUCS Super Rugby Team of the Season for her outstanding performances for The University of Edinburgh.
She is uncapped, but the former under-20 internationalist was part of the wider full Scotland squad during the Guinness Women’s Six Nations.
Scotland cap Lucia Scott claimed the Vision Scotland Women’s Try of the Season for her brilliant finish following a fantastic team move against Glasgow Warriors.
Along the M8, The Women’s Players’ Player of the Season, in memory of Siobhan Cattigan, went to Freya Walker, the Watsonians back-rower being recognised by her team mates after a standout season in Glasgow colours.
A consistent presence in the matchday 23 across the Celtic Challenge campaign, Walker ranked inside the top five in offloads, carries and tackles in the event providing a dynamic presence with or without the ball.
Ceitidh Ainsworth was named as the club’s Women’s Coaches’ Player of the Season, the young stand-off from Stirling County having shone throughout the Celtic Challenge.
The squad’s vice-captain led from the front throughout the campaign, making more tackles than any other back in addition to providing a key threat in attack.
The SP Energy Networks Community Hero Award in Memory of Jim Taylor MBE to Heather Bonner from Kirkcaldy Rugby Club.
‘Aunty Heather’ to those at the club, Bonner has been involved in the sport for 38 years and ensures that no one faces a barrier to being involved in rugby.
At Scottish Rugby’s Community Recognition Awards, Emma Forbes-Hayes from McLaren Rugby Club was given the Volunteer of the Season (Youth) prize
She loves the versatility rugby offers, as anyone any shape or any size can play and enjoy the game and she has made life-long friendships through the game and is now giving back at McLaren .
Emma’s proudest moment in rugby is being in a position now to give kids the opportunity and experiences that rugby has given Emma. Playing, going on tour, attending internationals, meeting players and making lasting friendships.
People at McLaren describe Emma as a stalwart, serving there for over 10 years since her eldest joined the minis, with another child still playing there. Over her time at McLaren the number of female coaches has doubled.
Community Match Official of the Season was Victoria Lindsay-McGee from the Borders Rugby Referee Society.
Victoria is a great example of getting stuck in. She loves our complex, challenging sport, with so much left for interpretation. Victoria’s belief is that rugby is a sport for everyone, whether you’re fast or strong, tall, short, new to the game or highly skilled. She loves the passion that people have for our sport and the values we hold.
One of her proudest moments in refereeing was during a girls under-18 game which was played on her birthday last year. One of the coaches realised it was her birthday and the girls surprised her with a cake after the game and sang happy birthday.
Victoria not only picked up the whistle, but got her husband into refereeing too. Now, they call each other from the car after their respective games every Saturday and tell each other how they went. She was very proud to be selected in December to assistant referee both the girls under-16 and under-18 cup finals on Youth Cup finals day at Murrayfield on the big pitch.
Women’s National League Player of the Season was Adelle Ferrie of Corstorphine Cougars
Adelle has not only been a standout in the Arnold Clark Women’s Premiership this season in the second-row as her club won the title, but off the back of her performances for Cougars, she was also selected for Edinburgh Rugby in the Celtic Challenge.
Rounding off an astounding season was a phone call from Bryan Easson, calling her up for a well-earned debut for Scotland in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations against Wales in March.
Women’s Regional Leagues Player of the Season was Kayleigh Warrick of Annan.
Kayleigh is a player who has had an excellent season, culminating in Silver Saturday silverware winning the Women’s Plate final with her side against Garioch.
She not only played in the final, but scored a try in the 34-24 win.
“It’s still hard to believe that I won the award, it’s not something I ever thought would happen.
“I certainly wouldn’t have been in the running for the prize without my amazing team mates and coaches.”
National Leagues Match Official of the Season was Chelsea Gillespie.
Chelsea is a referee whose relentless competitive streak drives her to continue refereeing at the highest levels of rugby.
Starting her journey with the whistle at age 15, initially refereeing other sports, she soon followed in her father’s rugby footsteps.
Some season highlights for Chelsea saw her appointed as an assistant referee twice in the URC, three times in Women’s internationals, two games in the middle for Celtic Challenge matches and held the whistle eight times in this season’s Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership.
The Women’s Try of the Season award went to Kiyomi Honjigawa of Corstorphine Cougars.
Kiyomi grand-final-winning try was named try of the season. Fresh from the sin bin, and with Cougars trailing Stirling County 20-17, her next touch of the ball was the match winning try, crossing over near the corner in dramatic fashion.
- Harlequins, with Scots Fi McIntosh and Izzy Hannay involved, defeated Shogun in the final of the Howden Melrose Sevens to win the women’s event last Saturday.
Various award winners are pictured – thanks to Edinburgh Rugby, Glasgow Warriors and Scottish Rugby
GH Media has covered Scotland women’s journey to this point and will be covering Scotland women’s journey right through to the end of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, bringing insight from within the camp throughout and featuring other parts of the game in this country too – thanks to those already supporting the content, if you or your company would like to get involved please email gary@gh-media.co.uk