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Scotland Women blog: Elis Martin

17 Oct 2023

With the new global women's competition, WXV 2, underway in Cape Town, we take a look at the three values of "Team First", "Believe and Inspire" and "Fight for our Family" that Scotland Women implement in their camp environment. This week, hooker Elis Martin gives her perspective on what "Team First" means to her.

In every international sports team people have to make sacrifices. Things that mean you put your team first. This can be hard to do, I’m not sure there are many jobs where you might have to miss a family wedding or your own graduation. Yet in sport we see athletes make these choices for the good of their team and country.

Our team make these choices. They have missed their own sister’s wedding, they have missed funerals of a loved one, they have had to sit out of graduating, miss big birthdays with family (even 50) …These things, however sad, are universal.

What I believe is not universal aren’t the things we miss, but the actions we take.

This campaign has barely started and yet Tyrone Holmes procured a shield to give to the defender of the week.

Ellen Dickson [Team Manager] bought a painting of a rhino because it reminded her of Christine Belisle.

Dell Cole [Kit Manager] works to stupid hours every day to make sure we have our boots glued or studs just right for training.

Fraser Menzies [Sports Scientist] skipped dinner to make sure our gumshields fit.

Rachel Malcolm bought me a coffee because I was braiding hair and she knew I’d want one.

Rhona Lloyd made every single player a note before our first game which were all a full page long and there’s 30 of us!

Jade Konkel spent weeks putting together booklets of everyone’s nice comments about each other.

Lisa Cockburn then spent her day off helping her laminate thousands of bits of card.

I feel that you might grow bored of me listing things that this team – my team – have done for one another. However, this is our reality, our Scotland. I’ve been part of many teams in my life, none quite like this one.

Scotland will face USA on Friday 20 October (kick-off 1pm UK time) as they look to build on their positive start to the WXV 2 competition, following a 31-17 win against South Africa. The side’s final fixture will see them go head-to-head against Japan on Friday 27 October (kick-off 1pm UK time).

You can watch all the action across the three games live on RugbyPass TV. For an explainer on World Rugby’s new competition, including details on all of Scotland’s fixtures and opponents, click HERE.