Edinburgh University in line for historic league title

Edinburgh University in line for historic league title

Edinburgh University Ladies will go head-to-head with Northumbria University Ladies in an attempt to win the BUCS Premier League for the first time in the history of any Scottish female university rugby team at Peffermill on Saturday (kick-off 2pm).Edinburgh suffered a narrow 20-13 loss when they last met Northumbria in September, gaining a crucial losing bonus point, as they now sit second in the league table behind table toppers Northumbria. In total, 11 of the 22 players named in the side started playing rugby at university, with Scotland Women cap Katie Dougan having developed her interest in rugby when arriving at Edinburgh University to study Environnmental Geoscience.Dougan gained her first international cap against Italy in the 2015 Women’s Six Nations Championship and also represented Edinburgh University in the 2016 Varsity match against St Andrews in front of 10,000 spectators at BT Murrayfield in September. She said: “I went along to the taster session and first social event during Freshers’ week and loved the camaraderie of everyone in the team.I tried a couple of sports in first year and ended up playing both shinty and rugby. I represented Scottish Universities in Ireland for shinty but realised I was more interested in rugby where there were more opportunities to develop and challenge myself.”Women’s rugby at Edinburgh University has thrived over the years with the university now fielding two full teams on a weekly basis.”Both 1st XV and 2nd XV have on-pitch training twice a week with the content decided by our four coaches and we will work on handling, set-piece plays, scrums and lineouts, small-sided games as well as contact work.Of course, being a university side there are a whole range of fun social events throughout the year, culminating in a tour in the summer. It really is a fantastic all round experience being involved with rugby at university.”I am a much more organised individual now than I was before I got involved with rugby. Simple things like keeping a diary! Before starting university, I was quite shy and quiet however since playing rugby I have become much more confident through developing leadership and management skills.”Joining the rugby team is probably the best decision I ever made, no matter your previous experience everyone is made to feel welcome and given a brilliant opportunity to develop within the sport. Plus, you are guaranteed to make some friends for life!Edinburgh University Ladies v Northumbria University Ladies, Saturday 14 January, 2pm Image: Celia Powell 

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