We know that families love gathering and spending time with other families during December in the lead up to Christmas, but three local rugby loving mothers and daughters met up on the pitch at the end of November to spread some good will and share in a great experience.
For hosts Turriff in the Arnold Clark Women’s Caledonia North Two stage two match which they won 31-19 last Saturday, mother Lyndsey Hester and her daughter Bella Hester and mother Bobbie Jack and her daughter Isla Geddes were playing.
And mother Charlene Nicolson and her daughter Cailynn Williamson were lining up for opponents Orkney Dragons.
Afterwards the three families got together for a special photograph and Lyndsey Hester, the 40-year-old Turriff back-row who founded the club with her husband John in 2019 with them being joint presidents now, said: “My daughter Bella and I have had a couple of seasons playing together now, but I never take for granted anytime I get to play with her as I don’t have too many seasons left of playing.
“I grew up in London and started playing rugby when I was 16, was never into rugby but met a boy (now husband John) and so I joined his rugby club (Mill Hill) to impress him.
“It’s great that Bella has followed in her parents’ footsteps and loves rugby and I hope she plays for as long as I have. I love that rugby is for everyone and it makes me feel strong.”
Outside of rugby Lyndsey Hester runs Lonely Thoughts which is a nonprofit mental health support enterprise and her daughter Bella Hester is proud of that and proud of playing rugby alongside her mother.
The recent university graduate, a 22-year-winger, said: “My parents founded Turriff RFC in 2019 so naturally I followed them there.
“The club is like one big family and everyone is there to support each other.
“Mum and I have played a couple seasons together now and it gets more enjoyable with every game. It’s lovely seeing each other grow and progress in the sport we both love.
“I’ve grown up being surrounded by rugby, the sport means a lot to us all and I enjoy that even if I’ve had a stressful day or week I can always turn to rugby to make me feel better. Having such a supportive team around me at Turriff certainly definitely aids my love for the sport.”
Bobbie Jack grew up in Fife, but took up rugby when she moved to the north-east and has helped set up Garioch women and Turriff.
The 44-year-old, who has battled back from bowel cancer around nine years ago, manages the Harbro country store in Huntly and is a 10 for Turriff, stated: “I adore playing rugby with my daughter Isla, she’s my wee rugby hero.
“She used to join in with women’s training from when she was about 10 and she is just very skilful and has a real rugby brain. We have actually played in the same team for about eight years now,
“And, indeed, around this time last year my younger kids Ailish and Edana, Isla’s sisters, also played with us in a match against Orkney and that was so special.
“Rugby has been our life for years now. My partner and I are the senior coaches at Turriff as well and I love how inclusive the sport is, there’s literally a place for everyone.”
Isla Geddes, the 25-year-old who is currently playing full-back for Turriff and is Bobbie Jack’s daughter, added: “Playing rugby with my mum is the most amazing feeling ever.
“I got dispensation to play senior rugby at 17 so have been playing with her for around eight years now and it never feels any less special.
“I don’t think there’s many times I’ve played a game without her playing too, she is my rugby idol and I look up to her so much as a person and player so it’s always a huge honour for me to share the pitch with her. We also work together at Harbro so we see a lot of each other!
“Like mum, I love that rugby is so inclusive. There’s a position on the field for everyone whether you’re strong or fast or tall or short and it is such a sociable game too and I met my husband through it.”
Heading into the opposition ranks now and Charlene Nicolson, 37, played for Orkney for many years and is a scrum-half. She recently came out of retirement to play two games with her daughter including this one before hanging her boots up again.
“I always said I would stop playing when I hit 50 appearances for the Dragons and got to play in a game with my daughter Cailynn,” the Developing the Young Workforce Orkney school coordinator said.
“Unfortunately, I tore my meniscus a few years ago and just managed to get my 50th cap and no more, but, around the same time, Cailynn made it into the wider Scotland under-16s squad.
“At that point, I thought my playing days might be over, but fast forward to now and I’m genuinely grateful to have been able to come back for two games to play alongside my daughter.
“There are people who would give anything to still be playing at 37 so I just enjoyed getting on the pitch recently so much.
“The inclusiveness and the social aspect of rugby is like nothing else.”
As a stand-off of late, 17-year-old Cailynn Williamson paired up with her mother Charlene Nicolson at 9 and 10 last weekend and the school and college student said: “As soon as I turned 17 I got signed off to play senior rugby at Orkney and it’s very good to be able to play at this level because It gives me valuable game time, I get to play with older people who I can learn from and it’s such a useful experience.
“It was really exciting to be able to play with my mum recently, not many people get that opportunity to play a sport with one of their parents.
“With my mum playing scrum-half and me playing 10 against Turriff it was exciting to link up in these positions and try and control the game.
“I love that rugby allows you to meet so many people, you make so many friends through the sport and you learn to truly cherish them.”
Bobbie Jack, Isla Geddes, Cailynn Williamson, Charlene Nicolson, Lyndsey Hester and Bella Hester are pictured
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.