You will have to go some to find anyone who was as proud and passionate to wear the Scotland shirt as Lee Cockburn – and the former second-row is excited to watch the current crop take on Australia in the big WXV 2 game on Saturday.
She has been a swimmer, a lifeguard, is coming to the end of a long stint in the police and she has even had time to write three books over the years with another on the way soon.
Her enthusiasm for life is something we could all learn from and something she has been enthusiastic about since she took up the sport aged 21 is rugby.
“I really do wish I had found rugby sooner because as soon as I had been to a few training sessions, played a few games and made great friends through the sport I was hooked and I knew it was the sport for me,” Cockburn from Edinburgh, whose time had been taken up by competitive swimming before that, said.
“To be a part of the first ever official Test match for Scotland women in 1993 versus Ireland was just amazing. We had been playing international matches for a couple of years so although they were not official caps we were all ready for the chance to show a bigger audience what we could do and to win that game [10-0 at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh] was a great feeling and we just wanted more of it after that.”
And more of it they got with around 50 or more of the 77 caps that Lee went on to win in the second-row resulting in victory.
She is fourth in the all-time Scotland women’s cap list behind Donna Kennedy (115), Heather Lockhart (89) and Karen Findlay (86) and the pride she took – and still takes – in having played for her country is there for all to see.
“We weren’t professional, in fact at times we had to pay to play, but we loved it because we were doing it with our mates and we became a pretty good unit who enjoyed winning,” Lee, Scotland cap number five who also played for the Classic Lionesses and the Barbarians style team known as the Nomads, explained.
“Earlier this year when the 90 Days play was held around the Six Nations time it was so good to look back on those days [the play recounted the Scots’ efforts to save the 1994 Rugby World Cup] and catch up with so many familiar faces.
“Those connections never leave you and it reminded us all of the fun and camaraderie that we all had and also gave us a chance to remember those who are sadly no longer with us who played their part along the way.
“When we played we had an edge to our game, you have to in rugby, and when I was lucky enough to present the Scotland squad with their shirts before the Wales game in last year’s Six Nations I spoke to them about trying to find that edge.
“They were playing nice rugby at the time and clearly had the skills and the talent, but in rugby you have to show that physical streak and take the game to opponents up front to set the platform.
“Over the last 18 months or so they have been doing it and it has been great to see this squad playing with confidence and showing people what they are all about.
“It will be a tough match against Australia, but they know that they can do it if they find their best performance of the competition so far and we will all be willing them on from back home.”
So, how did writing crime books come onto Lee’s radar?
“Well, at school they told me I would never get my O Grade, but I did and I got my Higher, but it was not until a few years ago that writing became a ‘thing’ for me,” the author of Devil’s Demise, Porcelain: Flesh of Innocents and Demon’s Fire to date with the next instalment coming out in a few months, explained.
“I really enjoy writing, it works for my brain and there is a it of a fantasy element to it. I never imagined I’d ever have a book published, but after lots of hard work it happened in 2014 when Devil’s Demise, the first in the series based on DS Taylor Nicks and DC Marcus Black, came out.
“I got a real buzz from that and, with the fourth book on the way, I still get a real buzz from it. Is it the same buzz as playing rugby for Scotland? Well, that buzz will be hard to ever recreate, but it comes close and I really like doing it and coming up with new ideas.”
Hopefully this weekend it will be Scotland’s women writing a thrilling story as they retain their WXV 2 title…
The Scotland-Australia game is at 4pm UK time on Saturday at the Athlone Sports Stadium and live on BBC iPlayer and RugbyPass TV
Scotland women’s matchday squad for the WXV 2 clash with Australia
15 Chloe Rollie (Ealing Trailfinders) (69)
14 Coreen Grant (Saracens) (13)
13 Emma Orr (Bristol Bears) (23)
12 Lisa Thomson (Ealing Trailfinders) (63)
11 Francesca McGhie (Leicester Tigers) (16)
10 Helen Nelson (Loughborough Lightning) (64)
9 Leia Brebner-Holden (Gloucester-Hartpury/Cheltenham Tigers) (4)
1 Leah Bartlett (Leicester Tigers) (37)
2 Lana Skelson (Bristol Bears) (73)
3 Elliann Clarke (Bristol Bears) (14)
4 Eva Donaldson (Leicester Tigers) (14)
5 Sarah Bonar (Harlequins) (41)
6 Rachel Malcolm (Loughborough Lightning, C) (51)
7 Rachel McLachlan (Montpellier) (45)
8 Evie Gallagher (Bristol Bears) (31)
Subs
16 Elis Martin (Loughborough Lightning) (14)
17 Anne Young (Loughborough Lightning) (14)
18 Christine Belisle (Loughborough Lightning) (39)
19 Louise McMillan (Saracens) (57)
20 Jade Konkel (Harlequins) (65)
21 Caity Mattinson (Ealing Trailfinders) (26)
22 Meryl Smith (Bristol Bears) (21)
23 Lucia Scott (Hartpury University/Gloucester Hartpury) (3)
Thanks to Lee for the photos
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