Scotland women and the 14 month journey – the WXV 2 Australia week: As we all think about silverware, there has been a Bowl triumph for Scots at Vets Fest

Gary Heatly

Scotland are aiming for WXV 2 silverware this Saturday when they take on Australia and, as a result, it was great to see some other Scottish players winning a trophy recently.

The setting was not the Athlone Sports Stadium in Cape Town, but instead Old Reigatian RFC in Reigaite in Surrey and the competition was Vets Fest 2024 run by the Wooden Spoon charity on September 28.

Vets Fest was created a few years ago to bring the rugby family together and give something back for the positive experiences as rugby players and supporters of the game.

It is a fantastic event which is a lot of fun and raises vital funds which will go directly towards supporting children with disabilities or facing disadvantage.

Kath Vass, Scotland cap number 30 and a well-known figure in the women’s game in Scotland, was behind getting the Wooden Spoon Scotland squad there and said:  The organisation for transport and accommodation for this year’s event started the day after we came home from 2023’s outing.

“We love being together and raising money for Wooden Spoon. For someone who thinks their rugby is done, I can’t play in the leagues, but I’m a little more mobile than some, so having a rugby tournament to aim towards is perfect.

“One weekend a year, it’s a minimal commitment but an intense one! We have fun off the pitch, so much fun, and we want to play the best we can.

“We had fewer players this year, but with help and strong legs we managed to fill the team for all of our matches – and we came away with a trophy!

“We are now proud holders of the women’s Bowl once more.

“Over £90,000 has been raised for Wooden Spoon by the tournament so far and as a Scottish side we raised the most we ever have and got even more people in contact with this excellent charity and its rugby ethos.”

About Wooden Spoon…

Wooden Spoon is the children’s charity of rugby and it is a grant-making charity which funds life-changing projects across the UK and Ireland. 

The vision: Through the power of rugby, every child and young person has access to the best life opportunities, no matter what their background.

The mission: To positively transform the lives of vulnerable children and young people through the power of rugby.

The values: The charity’s rugby heritage drives the core values of Passion, Integrity, Teamwork and Fun.

To find out more, visit woodenspoon.org.uk

About Wooden Spoon Scotland…

Wooden Spoon Scotland is committed to supporting a diverse range of community projects in Scotland and has granted in excess of £4 million to more than 100 life-changing initiatives since forming in the early 1990s.

The fund raising events across Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen continue to bring in much-needed money and allow us to support children and young people with disabilities or facing disadvantage across the country.

As of April, 2021, Wooden Spoon Scotland consists of three individual regions – Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

To find out more, visit woodenspoon.org.uk/region/scotland/

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 squad at WXV 2 (uncapped in bold)

Forwards

Leah Bartlett (Leicester Tigers)

Christine Belisle (Loughborough Lightning)

Sarah Bonar (Harlequins)

Elliann Clarke (Bristol Bears)

Lisa Cockburn (Gloucester Hartpury)

Eva Donaldson (Leicester Tigers)

Evie Gallagher (Bristol Bears)

Jade Konkel (Harlequins)

Rachel Malcolm (Loughborough Lightning)

Elis Martin (Loughborough Lightning)

Fiona McIntosh (Saracens)

Rachel McLachlan (Montpellier)

Louise McMillan (Saracens)

Lana Skeldon (Bristol Bears)

Aila Ronald (University of Edinburgh)

Alex Stewart (Corstorphine Cougars)

Anne Young (Loughborough Lightning)

Backs

Leia Brebner-Holden (Gloucester-Hartpury/Cheltenham Tigers)

Coreen Grant (Saracens)

Caity Mattinson (Ealing Trailfinders)

Mairi McDonald (Exeter Chiefs)

Francesca McGhie (Leicester Tigers)

Rhona Lloyd (Stade Bordelais)

Helen Nelson (Loughborough Lightning)

Emma Orr (Bristol Bears)

Rachel Philipps (Sale Sharks)

Lisa Thomson (Ealing Trailfinders)

Chloe Rollie (Ealing Trailfinders)

Lucia Scott (Hartpury University/Gloucester-Hartpury)

Meryl Smith (Bristol Bears)

The Wooden Spoon Scotland squad are pictured at Vets Fest

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