Rachel Shankland (born 26 October 1991) is a Scottish rugby union player from Cumnock who has played for the Scottish Women's team since 2020, including in the 2020 Women's Six Nations and 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship.[1]
| Date of birth | 26 October 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of birth | Cumnock, Scotland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 77 kg (170 lb; 12 st 2 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club career
editShankland joined Stirling County in 2016 and has played for the side as a winger since she made the transition from playing for her university.[2]
International career
editShankland first played for Scotland in the disrupted 2020 Women's Six Nations Championship.[1] The winger scored a late try, which was converted by Helen Nelson, in her debut appearance for Scotland against France in a match that saw her side draw with their opponents 13-13.[3] This was considered significant progress for the Scottish team, whose opponents were the 2018 Women's Six Nations victors.[4] In an interview with her local newspaper, The Cumnock Chronicle, she said of the experience,“It was incredible. The whole thing of being selected and named in the starting squad right through to getting the draw and it being a victory for us, it was quite surreal and really exciting. It was hugely positive for the team as a whole and really exciting in terms of the progress we’ve made and how much we’re moving forward.”[5] The side returned to action with Shankland a new addition after COVID-19 disrupted the year's championship.[6]
In the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship, she played in the back row alongside Megan Gaffney and Chloe Rollie in the opening match against England.[7] She was named as a replacement for the closing match against Wales, which Scotland won.[8]
Personal life
editShankland comes from Cumnock and went to school at Cumnock Academy.[5] She first took up rugby at Stirling University, after a friend introduced her to the sport.[5] She says of the decision, “I walked into it completely oblivious to what I was walking into, but I loved it from that first session and never looked back."[9]
Shankland lives in Perth and works part time as a social worker alongside her rugby training.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b "Rachel Shankland". Scottish Rugby Union. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ^ "Discover more about the team who makes up Stirling County Rugby Football Club Women's Team". www.stirlingcounty-rfc.co.uk. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ^ "Scotland hit back to hold France". BBC Sport. 25 October 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ^ "Late Shankland score earns Scotland dramatic draw against France". Six Nations Rugby. 25 October 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Rachel Shankland makes Scotland debut". Cumnock Chronicle. 28 October 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ^ "Rachel Shankland to make Scotland debut in Six Nations clash with France". www.scotsman.com. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ^ "Easson makes three changes for Women's Six Nations curtain-raiser". Six Nations Rugby. 1 April 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ^ "Scotland 27-20 Wales". BBC Sport. 24 April 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ^ "Scotland v France: Rachel handed first cap as an early birthday present – GH Media". 23 October 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2021.