“I’m probably the most excited I’ve ever felt for a year of rugby,” says Rachel Malcolm, Scotland women’s rugby captain. After beating Vodafone brand ambassador and TV presenter Roman Kemp in a brilliantly competitive rowing challenge as part of the company’s Roman v Rugby series, the 33-year-old sits down to reflect on how much the women’s game has developed over her years leading her country.
Rachel Malcolm
It wasn’t long ago that Malcolm, a researcher and lecturer in applied sports sciences at Nottingham Trent University, had to juggle working full-time with playing for Loughborough Lightning and Scotland. Now every team in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations benefits from professional contracts, and this year will see greater attention on the game than ever before. “With the World Cup being in England, and what promises to be the biggest one we’ve ever seen in the women’s game, it’s just a super-exciting year and for that reason I think the Six Nations is going to pop off,” she says.
While Malcolm is at her zenith, 21-year-old winger Francesca McGhie’s international career is just getting under way. A rising star for Scotland, she says women’s rugby is enjoying its moment in the spotlight. “It’s a World Cup year – that’s definitely first on the list for me, so hopefully I’ll make it into that squad. Then there’s the exciting prospect of a Lions tour, too … so much for everyone to look forward to.”
‘We’re a really fit, fast, and exciting team,’ Malcolm says
The players all share huge enthusiasm for the increased attention the game is getting, but what excites them most is Scotland’s chance to build on their recent success. “We have been on a definite upwards trajectory over the last couple of years,” Malcolm says. “We are chasing results, in terms of it’s a World Cup year and we are building towards that being our peak, but equally we need to learn how to win games and we need to use the experience of the Six Nations, which gives us the opportunity to play five top-level test matches, to put us in the best position for a big year.”
Elis Martin
Their campaign starts against Wales, a close rival, at home – a game which could prove really important in the tournament. “It’s a match I’m really looking forward to! It’s always a really tough battle against them,” says Elis Martin, the Scotland hooker.
In terms of how the team prepare for the Guinness Six Nations, the aim this year is to build on their gameplan and focus on themselves. “I would describe us as a really fit, fast, and exciting team,” Malcolm says. “We like to play a fast brand of rugby but we pride ourselves on our defence. As Scots, we are very brave and relentless and we never give up, so our defence epitomises that.”
It’s not just the training that makes a difference in tournaments like the Guinness Six Nations. “We do a lot of really embarrassing sing along situations, mostly led by Rhona Lloyd,” Martin, 25, says. “Last Six Nations we had Cammy Barnes [a Scottish singer] in and everyone was sat around crying, so that kind of bonding you don’t really see on social media but it’s what keeps us close knit.”
Francesca McGhie
The team like to switch off when they can, and for Martin that means hobbies, such as crochet, that completely take her away from thinking about rugby. It’s an intense environment for the squad, who will be living together for the whole tournament. Days like today, as the players gather at the Northampton Saints high-performance centre to compete against Kemp, are a welcome relief. They laugh when asked if he might have a chance to make it as an athlete. “I was mainly impressed by the no-look pass he did – the one that beat our girls,” says McGhie. “I don’t think anyone expected him to do that.”
For Martin, Vodafone’s role as principal partner of Scotland rugby means a lot – the company announced a deal last year to support the men’s and women’s teams, as well as the pathways system for younger players. “As female athletes we are quite often on the wrong side of money. To have such a big brand putting money into it … it’s just so nice to be able to relax and just let the rugby speak for itself.”
‘It’s a World Cup year and we are building towards that being our peak,’ says Malcolm
Helen Nelson, 30, is another experienced player who is helping Malcolm lead the team in their biggest year yet. Vodafone’s sponsorship has allowed her to get involved in EmpowHER, the company’s initiative in partnership with rugby podcast The Good, The Scaz & The Rugby that creates a clear pathway for university players who want to move into professional rugby. Established players including Malcolm and Nelson work with women rising through the ranks to offer them guidance and advice about what it takes to play at the highest level.
“I did EmpowHER last year with Lucy MacRae [University of Edinburgh, Scotland U20 centre] and will do it again this year,” says Nelson. “I’m invested in everything it’s about. I went to Edinburgh University so I’m really passionate about seeing how the team is doing – it was such an important step in my journey. I want to help those girls as much as possible. And hopefully it helps with the next generation of Scotland players too.”
Helen Nelson
For Malcolm, she gets huge satisfaction from supporting other people on their journeys. “I obviously have a lot of experience, a lot of highs and a lot of lows, and I’ve learned a huge amount. It’s important for me as a captain, as a leader, and as a player, to try to pass on some of those learnings so I can help younger players make those learnings a little bit quicker. That was my driving factor in wanting to be a part of it.”
For the players being mentored, the scheme offers a chance to see what they can achieve. “I think it helps them to have a way of talking to women who are already playing for their country, and being relatable,” says Nelson. “It’s not necessarily that big and scary. I was in that boat 10 years ago. Hopefully it bridges that gap and allows them to see what they could be.”
There is much for young players to be excited about, including the inaugural women’s British and Irish Lions tour in 2027, but for now the team focus is on the Guinness Six Nations, with one task at the front of their minds: to beat Wales at home on 22 March.
Find out how Roman Kemp fared when the Scottish women’s team put him through his paces at @vodafoneuk
