Celtic Challenge: Aisha Zameer shows Warrior spirit to bounce back from serious injury and represent Glasgow

Gary Heatly

For any female player in Scotland receiving a call up to play Celtic Challenge rugby is a big thing, but for Aisha Zameer it has probably been even bigger given that her selection for Glasgow came off the back of 12 months out with a serious knee injury.

In the early part of the 2023/24 season, Zameer tore her MCL and her PCL while playing a match for the University of Strathclyde.

She worked closely with physio Kelly McKenna from the Hampden Sports Clinic to set up a rehab plan which included no surgery and hard work got her back playing by the start of this current campaign.

“It was a tough year at times when I was out, but I had a lot of support from family and friends and physio Kelly and I was really happy to get back playing matches again a few months ago,” Zameer, who is now in her final year of a sport and physical activity degree, explained.

“The university has a link up with Glasgow Warriors and head coach Lindsey Smith was down watching one of our early season games and was helping out.

“It was after that game that she approached me and asked me if I’d like to attend Glasgow training and then things happened pretty quickly, the squad for the Celtic Challenge was announced and it was a nice surprise to see myself in there.

“Given I had been out for so long I was really just looking to getting back enjoying my rugby with Strathclyde and club side Hillhead Jordanhill this season with no real expectations, so to suddenly be in training with Glasgow was a bit of a whirlwind.”

The Warriors’ call up may have been a shock for the 22-year-old who co-captains Strathclyde with Priya Crawford, but since she was given the opportunity she has grabbed it with both hands.

The second-row has started the last two Glasgow matches in the Celtic Challenge after coming off the bench in their opener against Edinburgh Rugby and she is learning all of the time.

And, after three games on the road, Glasgow are looking forward to their first Scotstoun run out of the Celtic Challenge campaign at home to the Wolfhounds from Ireland on Saturday.

“We are all excited to get the chance to play at Scotstoun if selected,” Zameer said.

“Playing in front of family and friends is always a boost while we know that the Glasgow fans really support the women’s team.

“The group has been growing all of the time during the competition so far and we want to keep building with seven more games to come and five of them at home.”

Zameer went to the Community School of Auchterarder and had played other sports before like netball and football, but her friend encouraged her to give rugby a go there when she was around 14 and she has never really looked back.

“The school had a good set up via it’s School of Rugby for the girls side of the sport and straight away I loved the environment and the fact that rugby was a team game that was for everyone and it was also good getting to train with my friends and then get to play some games with them too,” Zameer recounted.

“Like a lot of people I started out as a winger and then I slowly began to move towards the forwards and began playing second-row and back-row and I have been there pretty much ever since.”

Zameer then left school in the summer of 2020 just after the pandemic had started.

A year of college followed for Zameer before she began her degree at Strathclyde in 2021 and, at the 2021/22 societies fayre she got chatting to some of the people involved in the women’s rugby section.

“At the time I wasn’t sure if I was going to go back to playing rugby, but I am glad that I decided to because it has been a great few years since,” Zameer concluded.

Be there to cheer on Glasgow Warriors in their first home match of the 2024/25 Celtic Challenge this Saturday – tickets are available at glasgowwarriors.org

Thanks to Glasgow Warriors for the image of Aisha Zameer

GH Media is always keen to cover club and grassroots women’s rugby stories in Scotland – thanks to those already supporting the content, if you or your company would like to get involved please email gary@gh-media.co.uk