Juggling family life to go with the Flo

2022 TikTok Women's Six Nations Championship Round 5, Kingspan Stadium, Belfast 30/4/2022 Ireland Women vs Scotland Women Scotland's Rachel Malcolm receives medical attention Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Ellen Dickson, who is a former Scotland international, leads in the role as Team Manager; Emma Coghill is the team’s Lead Analyst, and Josie Symonds joined the team earlier this year as the Head of Physical Performance.

Most recently, Claire Cruikshank joined the team as a Coaching Intern via the Gallagher High Performance Academy linked to the WXV competition.

When it comes to health and wellbeing, the team’s foundation is further strengthened by the expertise of four key women. Lara Wilson serves as Performance Nutritionist, ensuring players are fuelled for peak performance. Florence (Flo) Laing, the Lead Physiotherapist, is supported by fellow physio Brianna Joyes, while Dr. Victoria Campbell oversees the team’s medical care as Team Doctor.

As Scottish Rugby marks Women & Girls in Sport Week, we’re taking a peek behind the scenes, exploring Flo’s journey to becoming the team’s Lead Physiotherapist.

From a young age, Flo was certain that physiotherapy was her calling. A graduate of Queen Margaret University, she reflects on her passion for both her career and sport.

“I always knew I wanted to be a physio. In physiotherapy, you’re quite lucky to spend a lot of time with people you work with, and I like the relationship-building side of what this job entails. I’ve always loved sport, I’m quite competitive so I like that drive that’s in sport and striving towards a common goal. I knew as soon as I got into physio that I wanted to work in sport, and I was really quite driven to do that.”

Her journey into rugby started at a university placement when she was offered a pitch-side first aid role at a grassroots rugby club. It was an opportunity that sparked her love for rugby, a sport she previously knew little about.

“I didn’t know much about rugby as a sport at the time, but I loved the role and I was there for five years”, she recalls.

Flo’s career continued to flourish as she took on roles with Edinburgh Accies and Edinburgh University Men’s team, even gaining experience in other sports, including para-badminton. Eventually, she landed her first full-time role with the Edinburgh Academy, setting the stage for her future in professional sports.

Picture: Flo at Scotland Women training.

A mother of two young children, Flo openly discusses the challenges of balancing family life with her demanding career in sports.

“The biggest hurdle to overcome has been having children. I’m super lucky that my husband and I have been able to tackle that together to ensure I can do both. I think there are perceptions in society that being a mother means you’re less committed to your job but for me it’s shaped me as a physio and it’s made me better as a result – and I think that’s standard on a human level, hard things shape you.”

Flo also hopes to set an example for other women, showing that it’s possible to excel in both career and family life, saying: “I think I do have a sense of responsibility to show other female physios that it is possible to do both. Initially I found it really difficult but a lot of that was based on internalised feelings with things like ‘Mum guilt’ but soon I was able to flip that on its head and actually there isn’t any pressure and it’s about doing what you enjoy.”

Flo’s leadership philosophy as the head of the medical group is grounded in empowering her team to bring out the best in one another.

“In my mind, in order for me to be successful as a leader it’s about bringing the best out of the people around me in my team. Everyone will bring something unique and different and it’s about creating an environment where everyone can bring what they have to the table.

“We really have each other’s backs, being united and feeling like you can challenge each other in a way that brings the best out in each other and that’s really important.

“This is by far the best job I have ever had. I think part of that is the role, but it’s also the players, the management team and having that united goal and feeling like you are all working towards the same thing. And also, this is international rugby, that’s awesome!”

“I never dreamt before I got the role that this would even be an option, so I think to any girls who do dream of this, I would say back yourself. Hard work is the root of everything, but I honestly think if you’re willing to work hard, ask for help or ask to volunteer and gain exposure and be brave, it’s completely worth it.”