Let the Games continue

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 14: Scotland's Lisa Thomson runs through for her try during an Autumn Test match between Scotland Women and Fiji at Hive Stadium, on September 14, 2024, in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Ewan Bootman / SNS Group)

Despite Team GB narrowly missing out on a prospective medal match by virtue of losing to USA in the quarter-finals, Lisa described the whole journey in glowing terms – and meeting one of the country’s greatest ever sportspeople ranked high on the list of memorable moments.

Lisa said: “It seems like ages ago now, the way that rugby life is and constantly moving onto the next one. The Olympics was class, just a bit gutted about some of the results. That quarter-final against USA on the Monday night, after the year we’d had in terms of fighting to stay as a core team, we felt like we really, really wanted that as it would’ve been unreal for the programme and would’ve done huge things for it.

“Still, playing in front of 66,000 or so, hopefully we still inspired folk to get GB7s on the map. That was a huge part of what kept me going throughout the year, representing Scotland there.

Pictured: Lisa in action on day one of the 2024 Olympic Games. Photo credit: Mike Lee – KLC fotos for World Rugby

“I think the most I’d played in front of was maybe 25,000 in France [for Scotland Women] so playing there with that many folk was actually unreal, something you want to do every week and that’s where we want the game to go.

“Because you’ve never had it, you don’t realise what it’s like. You could just feel it around you and it added to a wee bit of nerves before the opening game. I was starting the first game and kicking off the whole Olympics and you think ‘what if I need to kick off the ball?’ and the whole world is watching, it was unbelievable.

“I think you need to go through your process, that’s how I deal with it,” added Lisa on the notion of having such a global audience. “‘How many times have I kicked off a ball?’ – it doesn’t really matter where you are, you just take yourself back to the process and zone in on that rather than zooming out, to be honest.

Not being overawed on the pitch at an Olympic Games is one thing, but to keep one’s cool off it with so many stars around is another test entirely, as Lisa explained:

“That is the whole Olympic experience, seeing everyone going about their business. You learn so much about other sports. The highlight was bumping into Andy Murray in the Team GB House. His Mum came out, when Andy was playing in Dubai when we were qualifying for the World Cup (2022) and she came to watch us there.

“It was cool to speak to Andy and get a photo with him – my Mum absolutely loved getting a photo with him so that kept her happy! He was just as chilled and relaxed as he comes across.”

Back to the task of representing Scotland in XVs once more, Lisa likens her two Olympic experiences to Rugby World Cups – Tokyo was without fans in 2021 for the Games, compared to the fanaticism of this year. In the same manner, Scotland want to improve on their 2021 (played in 2022) Rugby World Cup showing at next year’s showpiece event.

Pictured: Lisa grabbed two tries in the recent Vodafone Series win over Fiji at Hive Stadium

“When we were in New Zealand (in 2022), we wanted to get out of our pool. It’s pretty much the same squad, there’s a few young guns come in, but the bulk of the squad hadn’t experienced a World Cup before so to now have experienced it, with it being much closer to home in England, it’ll be more familiar, friends and family can attend much more easily, it’ll be even more important to put in performances and get out of our pool and make a mark. It’ll be so visible and hopefully that makes a huge impact on the game back home.”

Impact is certainly one word that could be used to describe Lisa Thomson’s rugby journey so far. 61 caps for Scotland and counting, with a try double against Fjii taking her to tally to 12 in dark blue, she quips a mantra through which she sees her own career: “Love rugby, keep moving and remember to appreciate it sometimes and sit down and think about everything I’ve actually done.”

From Olympic Games in Japan and France, to Scotland games in the lead up to, hopefully, a second Rugby World Cup next year in England, the passion required to keep going isn’t found wanting for Lisa Thomson.