Keira McCrone of East Kilbride admits she is “over the moon” to have won Scottish Rugby’s women’s try of the month award for October.
The 21-year-old stand-off’s score versus Strathaven at home on October 19 in Arnold Clark Women’s West Three was a cracker right enough, McCrone receiving a pass from the base of a ruck in her own half, stepping back in towards the forwards and then darting through a gap.
All the way in wet conditions the Strathaven defence tried to get back at her, but, even when one defender did, she showed good strength to hand them off and go in under the posts.
The score beat other fine nominees from Annan, Stirling County and Corstorphine Cougars and McCrone, a student paramedic at UWS in Hamilton who also works at a coffee shop, said: “It was a great game, it was raining, it was muddy, just lovely, just lovely classic Scottish conditions!
“We really had to push ourselves that game. It was a hard match so I remember being passed the ball and I was going to pass it to my team mates and get out to the wing and I just saw a gap and I decided that I was just going to go for it.
“I didn’t even realise that I’d made it through or that I was sprinting until I could just feel and see my legs hammering into the ground. I knew I wasn’t as quick as some of the Strathaven chasing players as they have some really, really quick backs. I just kept, I just started sprinting as quickly as I could and when I got into their ‘22’ I turned around.
“I was hoping that I would maybe be able to get an offload in as I did not think I was going to get over the line. When I turned around, all I saw was Strathaven shirts and I thought ‘there’s no way I’m getting over here’, but I just kept going and, luckily, I managed to give a quick hand off and I got under the post in time. I was definitely quite exhausted after it, but it was so worth it.
“Then I was absolutely over the moon to hear that I had won the Scottish Rugby’s women’s try of the month award for October, I was so, so happy.
“Our coach Elaine Martin reached out to me and she messaged me and let me know that she had put me forward and that it was on Twitter for a public vote and I couldn’t believe it had even been put on Twitter to the vote let alone won, it felt like such a big achievement.
“I was so proud of myself, I was so proud of us as a club. I did not think at all that I was going to win and when I did it was just amazing. I was telling my friends and family and I was honestly absolutely buzzing.
“My team mates were ecstatic too.
“They were sending me lovely messages and although it was me that put that ball over the try line, we pushed so hard as a team that game and it was really a team try and it was amazing to just see all of our hard work had been recognised.”
McCrone grew up in East Kilbride, but rugby was never part of her childhood growing up.
“I’d never watched a game of rugby or even picked up a rugby ball until I was 19,” she revealed.
“At that time, one of my friends that I worked with played for East Kilbride and she said to me that I should come along to her training session because she thought I would absolutely love it. I went with her to a training session one night and from that night I absolutely loved rugby.
“I was so invested in the sport, I was so excited to and eager to keep training and keep developing. I’ve now played for three seasons so far and I’m really looking forward to playing more and we’ve got some Plate games coming up in the new year.
“I’ve stayed at East Kilbride and genuinely the girls at East Kilbride are the most amazing and inspiring women I’ve ever come across while the people that support us like our coaches are amazing too. When I first began rugby there was a lot going on, there were lots of changes going on in my life and I was looking for an outlet for myself and rugby gave me that.
“It gave me a place to connect with other people, develop myself as a person and I just fell in love with the sport. My team mates are the most supportive, wonderful people. I honestly would not want to be on the pitch with any other set of girls.
“We really build each other up, we don’t get hung up on the small things, we help each other when we’re down. We’re a really good and loving team, there’s nothing that we wouldn’t do for each other. It’s a very warm, welcoming environment and I felt that from the minute I went to that first training session.
“We’ve just finished our league and we finished third and I’m so incredibly proud of this team.
“We were aiming to get into the top half of the league so we have definitely done that and we’re really proud. Our coaches really push us, come up with some great training sessions and just make it a great environment to be a part of.”
Keira McCrone is pictured – thanks to East Kilbride Rugby Club
From November 14 to December 14, GH Media will be featuring on all aspects of women’s rugby in Scotland including the exciting conclusion to the domestic Premiership, news on Scots playing down south and lots more during a busy month.