Rhea Clarke says it is a “dream come true” to be about to take part in a Women’s Rugby World Cup alongside her older sister Elliann.
The Clarkes will make history in the coming weeks as the first set of Scottish sisters to be involved at the same World Cup competition.
The tournament in England runs from August 22 to September 27 and the Scotland Pool B matches are against Wales in Manchester on August 23, Fiji in Manchester on August 30 and Canada in Exeter on September 6.
The 32-strong Scotland squad that was named last week in St Andrews travelled south yesterday to prepare and the Clarke sisters – who started their rugby journey at the Dunfermline club and are former Queen Anne High School pupils – are still pinching themselves.
“It’s definitely a dream come true to be going to this big event with Elliann,” 21-year-old scrum-half Rhea said.
“To be in the squad at all this year has been a bit of a whirlwind for me individually, but it means so much and earning my first Scotland cap versus England in the Six Nations was exciting.
“Elliann has been a real role model for me to get to this stage. To share this journey with her has been incredible and something I’ll really treasure.
“When I sat down after playing for the U20s last year and I was on the edge with rugby, I wasn’t really sure where I was going.
“I had a long-term goal of playing for Scotland, but it’s hard to get to that and I couldn’t quite see the path at the time.
“It was a distant goal and I was like, ‘I’m not sure whether that’s achievable’.
“The aim was to get into the wider training squad for the Six Nations so I worked with some specialist coaches over the winter, played in the Celtic Challenge with Edinburgh Rugby and then things took off from there.”
Rhea has just graduated from Edinburgh University and will be joining Elliann at top English club Bristol Bears after the World Cup.
Elliann, 24, is now Scotland’s first choice tighthead prop, has 22 caps to her name and was at the last World Cup in New Zealand in 2022 too.
Of Rhea joining her for this year’s version of the showpiece event, Elliann said: “It is incredibly, incredibly special. To go to a World Cup is what you dream of, it’s the pinnacle of your career.
“To do that with my sister is as special as it gets in terms of rugby and dreams and everything combined!
“Our family have been huge for us and have supported us all the way from the Dunfermline Minis, via Stirling County and Edinburgh University to here.
“Both of our parents are rugby mad, our grannies are super supportive, our uncles and aunties are great, everyone just loves it.
“Our brother Callum plays at Dunfermline too, so you could say rugby is a pretty big thing in our family.
“I am so proud of Rhea for getting this far and now we are both focused and want to do everyone proud at the World Cup.”
The Clarkes and the rest of the Scotland squad travelled to Manchester from Edinburgh on Friday and have a World Cup welcome event to attend on Sunday.
- The Arnold Clark Women’s Premiership for 2025/26 begins on Saturday.
Scotland Women’s Rugby World Cup squad
Forwards: Leah Bartlett, Becky Boyd, Sarah Bonar, Elliann Clarke, Lisa Cockburn, Eva Donaldson, Evie Gallagher, Adelle Ferrie, Jade Konkel, Rachel Malcolm (C), Elis Martin, Rachel McLachlan, Molly Poolman, Lana Skeldon, Alex Stewart, Emma Wassell, Molly Wright, Anne Young.
Backs: Leia Brebner-Holden, Beth Blacklock, Rhea Clarke, Coreen Grant, Rhona Lloyd, Caity Mattinson, Francesca McGhie, Helen Nelson, Emma Orr, Hannah Ramsay, Chloe Rollie, Lisa Thomson, Hannah Walker, Evie Wills.
Rhea and Elliann Clarke are pictured at the squad announcement – 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.