Gary Heatly in Manchester
It is a year to the day since Ellon’s Emma Wassell was first admitted to hospital thinking something was stuck in her throat.
Now she is getting ready to earn her 70th cap for Scotland in the Women’s Rugby World Cup opener versus Wales on Saturday afternoon (2.45pm, live on the BBC) after 12 months of hard work and resilience.
Wassell had to deal with the passing of her mother Pauline last April.
Then, last August, she spent nearly two weeks in hospital after a tumour in her chest was discovered during Scotland’s 2024-25 pre-season training block.
She then had one operation before a second, a full sternotomy, came in November.
“To be back playing for Scotland, it’s hard to put into words,” the 30-year-old second-row said.
“There were many moments where I feared I never would again, yet there was also a big part of me that knew I wouldn’t stop until I did.
“Playing against Italy and Ireland in the Summer Tests recently was so special and doing it with my team mates who carried me through my darker days. Those games weren’t just about being back on the pitch, they were about proving that I was capable, that I could perform again.
“The games have been a really good test for me to see where I am at and prove to myself that both physically and mentally I am able to perform on the international stage once again.”
And perform she certainly did meaning that it was no surprise when head coach Bryan Easson named her in the starting XV for today’s important Pool B clash with old foes Wales at the Salford Community Stadium in Manchester.
“I have always believed that everything will happen for a reason and that has been something I have lived by the whole time,” Wassell, who played in the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand, continued.
“We’ve known the dates of the World Cup for a long time, so I was aware that if I was to be back in time it would be a year to the day since I first went into hospital.
“I really hoped the stars would align and when the Wales fixture landed on that date it gave me hope.
“It’s a huge reflection point for me because I remember so vividly where I was a year ago and how far I’ve come.
“This day, this game, it’s something I’ve thought about every single day since.”
Rugby is, of course, a team game and it was her team mates and the Scotland medics who have helped Wassell off the pitch since last August.
“Each and every single player in the team has been pivotal in me getting back to rugby,” she stated.
“They inspired me so much during the Six Nations.
“I know getting back on the pitch will always be a really proud moment for me, but it is also a way for me to close this chapter and start to write a new one, and that is the biggest bit for me.
I couldn’t have done it without the support around me in the shape of my team mates, friends, medics and Scotland management group.”
The tournament in England runs from August 22 to September 27 and the Scotland group stage matches are against Wales on Saturday, Fiji in Manchester on August 30 and Canada in Exeter on September 6.
The top two from each pool will make it through to the last eight in the 16-team event with a quarter-final spot definitely achievable for the Scots.
- England defeated USA in the opening match of the World Cup on Friday night, winning 69-7 in the Pool A clash in Sunderland.
Scotland squad to play Wales: Chloe Rollie; Rhona Lloyd, Emma Orr, Lisa Thomson, Francesca McGhie; Helen Nelson, Leia Brebner-Holden; Leah Bartlett, Lana Skeldon, Elliann Clarke, Emma Wassell, Sarah Bonar, Rachel Malcolm (C), Rachel McLachlan, Evie Gallagher. Subs: Elis Martin, Molly Wright, Lisa Cockburn, Jade Konkel, Eva Donaldson, Alex Stewart, Caity Mattinson, Beth Blacklock.
The Wales matchday 23 is here.
Emma Wassell is pictured – thanks to N50 Photography
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.