The preseason period is crucial for the team, not just for physical conditioning but also for fostering team cohesion. With new faces both within the player group and management – we caught up with Rachel Malcolm, Christine Belisle (CB) and Jade Konkel to discuss their preparations.

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How does it feel to be back?

Jade: “It feels really good, obviously I was in and out the Six Nations before last and WXV, so it’s nice to be back on a clean slate. There’s lots of new faces, lots of new things to learn but it’s super to be here.

“It was brilliant to see Scotland on such great form and see the players smash it but there is nothing worse than wanting to be on that pitch, with your mates, representing your country so it was a tough thing to be on the sidelines but it was nice to still be involved on the other side with commentary and still have that connection, that was really special but I obviously prefer being back in with the squad now.”

Christine: “It’s great to be back in Scotland and back with all of your mates. Already in these camps we have been looking at how we can rectify things and it just lights more of a fire if anything else.

“We are looking forward to qualifying for the World Cup, getting there and performing but its just about putting one foot in front of the other, and taking each training day one at a time to see how we can make the most out of them and get better as players and a team leading into it.”

Rachel: “It’s great to be back and hit the ground running with our preseason. We’re working hard to get ourselves right as individuals and a team for upcoming games, ensuring our fitness and skills are up to scratch before we then switch into prepping for our two Autumn tests.”

Christine Belisle in Scotland camp.

Fraser Brown has joined Forwards Coach and will be with the team up until the end of WXV 2, how has it been working with him so far?

Rachel: “Fraser is immensely experienced as a player and we’re super fortunate to have him at this point. He’s just off the back of playing at a very high level in the men’s game to then come into our programme to coach us.

“One thing I always pick up on with new coaches coming in is whether they know everyone’s name, and from day one, he did. That is really important to show he respects us and he’s put the time in away from here and came in with a huge amount of knowledge about where we’re at.

“He’s definitely going to challenge us on things we need to improve on and it is exciting.”

Christine: “It’s cool to have someone new coming in who can bring a new perspective to things. Fraser has obviously played for a long time and has only recently retired, so you know exactly what he is looking for. We had a pretty dark session with lots of mauling last week, but that’s what we’re here for as professional athletes and we know we’re getting better for it.

“If we look at how dominant our set piece has been and how strong we can be, with Fraser coming in – the level of detail he brings, the perspective, it’s very exciting to know if we continue to buy in and work hard that we can showcase that on the pitch.

“As a team we are starting a new chapter so I’m looking forward to seeing where we can go with him.”

There are some new faces in the squad with additional day-trainers joining as well – what can you tell us about working with the new players?

Rachel: “What I’ve seen over the last couple of years is that group are more comfortable in this environment than they used to be because of the exposure they’re getting in the pathway.

“They are coming in off the back of a competitive U20 Six Nations Summer Series and they’ve had elite level preparation so they come into this camp with a bit better understanding of what the standards are.”

Christine: “Having new players and more players allows us to spend more time on our feet, so the injection of players from the pathway is great. It’s massive for how we continue to grow.

“Being one of the older girls I recognise my impact on the girls coming in. When it is time to work hard, I work hard and want to leave everything out there as an example to others. I never want to look back on a game or session and think ‘I could have done more’”.

Jade: “Nobody looks out of place. There are 19-20-year-olds here and they are so eager to learn and it’s really exciting.

“The number of tackles Alex (Stewart) made in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations for example – the amount that were dominant as well. From coming through the age-grade pathway, earning her first senior cap and she’s putting these experienced international opposition players, who’ve been on the circuit for years, metres back, it’s so impressive. If she’s doing that in her first season, imagine what she is doing in her fifth!”

Alex Stewart in action for Scotland against France in the 2024 Guinness Women’s Six Nations.

How excited are you for the upcoming Autumn Tests?

Christine: “We are super exited about our upcoming games against Wales and Fiji, we’ve never played Fiji so I am looking forward to that. They are big games, but they are building blocks to the bigger picture.”

Rachel: “We can’t wait to welcome our fans back to Hive Stadium! It’ll be a fantastic way to wave us off to South Africa for WXV 2.”

Jade: “The opportunity to have two big home games before WXV 2 is very exciting and it’s continue be a fantastic occasion to show case the growth of this squad. I can’t wait to see our fans packing the stands!”

Scotland Women v Wales, Hive Stadium, Friday 6 September, kick-off 7.35pm

Scotland Women v Fiji, Hive Stadium, Saturday 14 September, kick-off 4.45pm

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