In 2015 Christine 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 lifechanging 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.
“If you had asked me when I first moved here where I’d be in 2024 I would not have believed you, but I would not change a thing, I love it,” Belisle, now 30 and with 35 caps under her belt, said.
“I was not even playing rugby when I first came over here, I had played rugby when I was younger, but only took it back up again at Cartha.
“When I got my first cap in 2019 I never anticipated this would be my life and I think that is why I want to enjoy this all of the time.
“When I was back in Canada over the summer seeing family and friends I took a step back from everything and I realise how fortunate I am to have this sporting career.
“I just try to have fun, I just am quite a silly goose, I don’t take myself too seriously.
“A big thing I have worked on over the last four or so years has been just enjoying being here and taking in every day.
“When it is time to work hard I work hard and want to leave everything out there as an example to others, I never want to look back on a game or a training session and think I could have done more.
“However, I can’t be like that all the time, so in between sessions and when the time is right you can still have fun. That has been a huge part of this squad’s growth, we enjoy each other’s company and we enjoy what we do, so even though we are working hard there is still time to have fun.
“And, as I am in more of a leadership role now and being one of the older girls, I recognise my impact on the girls coming in.
“It is a great squad and environment to be a part of.”
Belisle 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 she has become a key player in the number three jersey.
A big year for Scotland leading into a Rugby World Cup in England in 2025 starts next month when Wales and Fiji come to Hive Stadium in Edinburgh for September Tests – and Belisle believes the squad can keep improving.
“If we reflect back on WXV 2 last year and wining the title there that showed how much we had grown in the year leading into that and I think having new, younger faces coming into these ongoing camps has helped to push our standards and train with more numbers on feet all of the time,” the Loughborough Lightning player said.
“There are also new faces in the coaching team and these things have all been massive for how we can continue to grow.
“[In the set piece which has been going well of late] I think it can get even better, I cannot wait.
“If we look at how dominant we have been at times in games and how much more there is to come it is exciting. I think with Fraser Brown [new forwards coach] coming in and the detail he is bringing if we all continue to work hard we can show that continued improvement sooner rather than later.
“As for playing tighthead, I really enjoy it, whenever I tell people I play tighthead they say ‘oh my gosh’, but it is a position that I really enjoy and it is a position that you are always learning in and can improve in.
“You are always challenged in a different way and I am very, very grateful that a few years ago the strength and conditioning coach and the coaches at the time thought that tighthead had potential for me.
“It makes the hard work worth it when you win a scrum penalty or get dominance in a game.”
Scotland women’s training squad (uncapped in bold)
Forwards
Leah Bartlett
Gemma Bell
Christine Belisle
Holland Bogan
Sarah Bonar
Elliann Clarke
Lisa Cockburn
Eva Donaldson
Evie Gallagher
Jade Konkel
Rachel Malcolm
Elis Martin
Fiona McIntosh
Rachel McLachlan
Louise McMillan
Lana Skeldon
Alex Stewart
Emma Wassell
Anne Young
Backs
Cieron Bell
Beth Blacklock
Leia Brebner-Holden
Coreen Grant
Caity Mattinson
Jenny Maxwell
Mairi McDonald
Francesca McGhie
Liz Musgrove
Rhona Lloyd
Helen Nelson
Emma Orr
Lisa Thomson
Chloe Rollie
Lucia Scott
Meryl Smith
Day trainers invited into camp to support their development
Merryn Gunderson
Natasha Logan
Hannah Walker
Hannah Ramsay
Aila Ronald
Rachel Philipps added on August 12
Christine Belisle is pictured in training, thanks to Scottish Rugby/SNS for the image
GH Media will be covering Scotland women’s journey right through to 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