Forging bonds and finding bravery | Scotland Women U18

The U18 Six Nations Festival continues to play a pivotal role in developing the next generation of rugby talent across the men’s and women’s game. A breeding ground for future international stars, the festival offers young players, coaches, and match officials a vital introduction to the high-performance environment of international rugby. For most, it’s their first taste of the intensity and expectation that comes with representing their country.

This year’s tournament has already produced a standout moment for Scotland’s Women U18 – a stunning 22-12 victory over England, marking an historic result that reflects the progress and potential within the squad.

For Ella, this year is her her second experience at the U18 level – a position that’s allowed her to step up as a more senior figure within the group.

“It’s been amazing so far,” she said. “Because it’s my second time, I feel like I’ve had the chance to go again with a fresh squad and help guide where I can. The squad has gelled so much better this year – we had games together over the summer and the team has stayed pretty consistent heading into the Six Nations. That’s helped us build a real bond.”

That connection hasn’t gone unnoticed by Lucy, who is making her Six Nations debut.

“We’ve created such a great environment,” she said. “The trust we’ve built up has been massive – on and off the pitch. Being away together in this high-performance setting for two weeks has been a huge step up from the Regional Game Series, but it’s shown us what’s expected of us around training schedules and our performance habits if we’re going to keep progressing through the age grades. It’s been a huge learning opportunity.”

Scotland celebrate after their win over England.

Reflecting on their journey through the tournament, the pair pointed to the team’s progression from day one, where they fell short in two spirited performances against Wales (7-21) and France (55-0).

“Day one gave us a really good baseline to move forward with, we had a lot to learn”, said Ella. “We went in with confidence but I think you could see the trust and confidence develop from day one to day two. We knew that we had a chance against Wales and I do think we had a strong performance.

“France was obviously really difficult, we knew it would be and they’re a really highly regarded team. But the fight that we put up was really respectable and the girls put their all into it. It can be really tough not to get a glimpse of the ball or struggle to get on the board, but the girls defended their hearts out.”

Lucy echoed that sentiment, adding: “What’s stood out is how we’ve taken what we do in training and transferred it onto the pitch. The results on day one maybe didn’t show it, but we definitely laid a foundation for what came next.”

What came next was a historic win over England – a moment neither will forget anytime soon.

Reflecting on the game, Ella said: “Obviously we knew that England and Wales had drawn with a scoreless game before us but we had to forget that and focus on our warm up but we definitely went in with a lot more confidence. Like France, England are such a highly regarded team, and you know you’re going to have to put up a major fight, so I think we went in with that fighting mindset and that’s probably what gave us the edge.

“When we got that win over England, you could see how much that meant to Lindsey (Smith) and all the coaches and staff. Taking a step back from thinking about the graft that the squad has put in, you think about the graft our coaches have put in, especially Lindsey, and seeing that all pay off is just so good.”

With one game remaining in the festival, the focus now shifts to their 70-minute match against Italy. So far, all the sides have been playing in 35-minute games, so this final match gives Scotland a new challenge to face.

Looking ahead to Saturday’s match, Lucy said: “Firstly, we’ve had to settle down from that massive win over England. The excitement from that result I don’t think has been comparable to anything we have ever achieved before as a squad. It was such a high but we need to remember we have one more game to go, that this isn’t the end of the road. We have to set our sights on another win and what Italy will bring.”

Both players credited their journey to the support structures beneath them — particularly the Girls Regional Game Series and the Vodafone Regional Training Centres (RTCs), which have helped bridge the gap between club rugby and the age grade programme.

Ella said: “The RTCs mean the environment isn’t such a shock – we train weekly, we’re constantly being challenged because we are all competitive and that’s helped massively. The foundations we’ve built through the Regional Game Series and the RTCs have prepared us for this Festival.”

As the U18 Six Nations Festival draws to a close on Saturday, Scotland’s young stars – including Ella and Lucy – have not only showcased their talent but also their grit, unity, and determination to rise to the next level.

Click here to access the Live Stream to Scotland Women U18 v Italy.