Former Scotland star Kath Vass thrilled with growing profile of rugby

By Tom Masters

Former Scotland international Kath Vass is ecstatic the 2021 Rugby World Cup is proving popular for rugby fans all over the world.

Now a biomedical scientist, Vass, 56, was an unused replacement for Scotland in their first ever international back in 1993 - a match that Scotland defeated Ireland 10-0.

Now, just under 30 years later and the Women’s Rugby World Cup is at the centre of the global sporting calendar, while the Six Nations has both its own window and a title sponsor in TikTok.

This dramatic rise to prominence of women’s rugby is something that Edinburgh resident Vass is particularly pleased with.

She said: “I was lucky enough to be on the bench before the first ever full Scotland Women game back in 1993 - I didn’t get on sadly.

“Now I’m so glad that we are on the telly and on mainstream telly and on BBC Two and for us we get it on BBC Alba, which seems pretty niche but it’s still an online channel and it’s easily accessible for people.

“It has been stupendous to have the profile raised in that way and it is superb that so many matches are on tv.

“We were able to watch the New Zealand v Australia match over breakfast and it was just amazing to be able to see that.

“I think that’s the first time I haven’t been at a women’s rugby club when that has happened - it’s changed so much since the first Women’s World Cup in 1991.”

Scotland made the 2021 Rugby World Cup through the repechage tournament, and Vass admits that it may be difficult for her nation to compete against the heavyweight trio of England, hosts New Zealand and France.

Bryan Easson’s side finished bottom of the 2022 TikTok Women’s Six Nations without a win but suffered heart-breaking late defeats to Ireland, Italy and Wales.

And for Vass the goal is now simple – building some winning momentum.

Speaking at Wooden Spoon’s Vets Fest 22 in Birmingham, she said: “It hasn’t been a great Six Nations for a while, everybody is going at the same pace and if you start slightly back in the first place, you’re still going to be slightly behind and that is where Scotland still is.

“It’s getting there, we have some outstanding players – Jade Konkel, for example, is outstanding.

“I’m not sure how they’ll do, it’s a fairly tough group.

“They just need to win a few games and get up the world rankings, that’s what I really want our girls to do.”

Register for next year’s Vets Fest event at: https://woodenspoon.org.uk/wooden-spoon-vets-fest-2023/