Sarah Bonar

Born on February 9 1994, in Aberdeen, Sarah Ann Bonar has emerged as a key figure in Scottish women's rugby, balancing her athletic career with her professional role as a teacher and subsequently member of the RAF.

Sarah discovered rugby in an unconventional way, transitioning from a background in rowing – Bonar has represented Great Britain Juniors and Under-23s. While she enjoyed the competitive and physically demanding aspects of rowing, she found the individuality of the sport challenging.

Her journey toward rugby began at Hartpury College in 2014 when she met Danielle Waterman, who was both coaching and actively playing for England. Their paths crossed again when Sarah was at Loughborough University, feeling unfulfilled and seeking a new competitive sport. Recognising her drive and potential, Waterman encouraged her to give rugby a try—and the rest is history.

Sarah earned her first call up to the Scotland squad in 2016 alongside Rachel Malcolm. The two players made their debut for the Scotland Women together in the same minute in November 2016, coming off the bench against Spain in a Women’s Rugby World Cup Qualifier.

The Aberdeen-born lock went on to showcased her abilities, featuring in every game of the 2017 Six Nations, earning her first start against England at Twickenham Stoop.

Bonar took a brief break from rugby to focus on her RAF training in 2021, before returning to feature in the squad for the Rugby World Cup 2021 Europe Qualifiers in Parma, Italy. Bonar is now a Flying Officer in the RAF Police, based at RAF Odiham, and is currently on the Elite Athlete Scheme which allows her to train for rugby full time.

She went on to feature for Scotland in the Rugby World Cup 2021, followed by WXV2 in both 2023 and 2024, helping Scotland claim the title in its inaugural year.

Throughout her rugby career, Sarah has played for several prominent clubs, including Loughborough Lightning and Gloucester-Hartpury. In July 2021, she joined Harlequins ahead of the 2021/22 PWR season, where she has remained since. In 2024, Sarah won the Women’s Club Champion award for Harlequins.