A serious knee injury robbed Lisa Cockburn of experiencing the last Women’s Rugby World Cup so it is understandable that the prop is buzzing and “absolutely over the moon” after being selected for the 2025 version of the showpiece event.
The 32-year-old, who can play either side of the front-row and who took up the game in her teens at local club Basingstoke RFC after trying out taekwon-do and horse riding, was named in the 32-strong group that will be off to England soon last week.
Heading into the 2022 event played in New Zealand she had been in and around the Scotland squad for a while and was expected to be involved in the Southern Hemisphere, but a big setback occurred versus England in the Six Nations a few months earlier.
In that game at Hive Stadium she ruptured hr ACL and then a torn plantar fascia injury further derailed her down the line meaning that, in total, she missed 18 months of action.
Fast forward a bit and, after a return to Scotland colours in late 2023 and what came after that, she was not named in the original squad for the Six Nations earlier this year.
As a result, the Gloucester-Hartpury player, who has 34 caps, has really battled to get to this stage and said: “I am absolutely over the moon. I’m so happy that I’m here.
“After not getting selected for Six Nations, I really thought my World Cup dream was over again and that it would be really difficult for me to get back into the squad so I am so happy and relieved.
“When I missed out on Six Nations selection earlier in the year I had a day or two of feeling sorry for myself and then I had another chat with Bryan [Easson, the head coach] and I reflected on the season and his justification for me not being in and I thought ‘okay, well, I can either go one way and just accept it and not do anything or I can go right, okay, he’s asking for this and this and I can go away and I can work on things’.
“I had stuff from S & C coaches to crack on with, I went out and did skills with my partner and I was trying everything I could to get back into the picture.
“Then I got called in for a couple of camps during the Six Nations just to train and it was nice to be back.
“I then reset mentally and have put the hard work in since day one of Scotland’s World Cup pre-season earlier in the summer and here we are.”
No one is prouder of Cockburn for the way she has managed the highs and lows of her rugby journey to this point than her partner Lisa, mum Lilian and brother Neil.
They were her guests at the Scottish Rugby and Vodafone surprise send-off event last Thursday evening in St Andrews.
And after that big day, Cockburn will hope to have a few more at the World Cup itself and then she and Lisa are getting married soon after the tournament for the biggest day of them all.
“In just under two months we are getting married so it is ‘all go’ at the minute,” she stated.
“I’ve pretty much planned the wedding around the World Cup. The World Cup comes first and the wedding comes after so these are exciting times.
“In terms of my rugby, my mum has been my biggest supporter over the years and it is also great having my partner and my brother supporting me too.
“I love going out there on the rugby pitch representing Scotland. The camaraderie of everyone battling to win a game by going to some really dark places, it really bonds you together.
“I love that, that drives me and I love the experience of game day and having my family and my partner right behind is just great.”
The World Cup event runs from August 22 to September 27 and the Scotland pool matches are against Wales in Manchester on August 23, Fiji in Manchester on August 30 and Canada in Exeter on September 6.
The Scotland squad will next meet up in Edinburgh on Thursday before travelling to Manchester on Friday.
- Former Scotland caps Deborah McCormack and Heather Lockhart will be part of the BBC team during the World Cup, it has been announced.
Scotland Women’s Rugby World Cup squad
Forwards: Leah Bartlett, Becky Boyd, Sarah Bonar, Elliann Clarke, Lisa Cockburn, Eva Donaldson, Evie Gallagher, Adelle Ferrie, Jade Konkel, Rachel Malcolm (C), Elis Martin, Rachel McLachlan, Molly Poolman, Lana Skeldon, Alex Stewart, Emma Wassell, Molly Wright, Anne Young.
Backs: Leia Brebner-Holden, Beth Blacklock, Rhea Clarke, Coreen Grant, Rhona Lloyd, Caity Mattinson, Francesca McGhie, Helen Nelson, Emma Orr, Hannah Ramsay, Chloe Rollie, Lisa Thomson, Hannah Walker, Evie Wills.
Lisa Cockburn is pictured with her brother, partner and mum at the World Cup send off event
From August 7 until September 30, GH Media will be following the Scotland World Cup journey all of the way. We will be at all of the Scotland matches down south and will be bringing you all of the interviews and news from camp as well as taking a wider look at the tournament as a whole and its impact on the women’s game. Thanks to Quirky Chocolate and other supporters for allowing this content to happen and to readers for engaging with it.