Megan Gaffney

Last updated
Megan Gaffney
Date of birth (1991-12-03) 3 December 1991 (age 32)
Place of birth Edinburgh, Scotland
Height1.69 m (5 ft 6+1⁄2 in)
Weight70 kg (150 lb; 11 st 0 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Winger
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2019-2020 Watsonians ()
2020-present Heriot's Blues Women ()
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2011–2022 Scotland 45 (0)

Megan Gaffney (born 3 December 1991) is a former Scottish rugby union player. She is from Edinburgh and has competed internationally for Scotland since 2011. [1] She has twice been selected for the Great Britain 7s training squad for the Rio and Tokyo Olympics. [2] She retired from international rugby at the end of 2022.

Contents

Club career

In 2020 Gaffney began to play for Heriots RFC. [3] Before this, she played for the Watsonians. In an interview with East Lothian Courier, she commented on her move: “It is a really forward-thinking club. I know a lot of the players there and I have watched the team progress.” [4]

Before joining the Watsonians, she had also played for Murrayfield Wanderers and Hillhead Jordanhill. [5] She scored the winning try in the last minute for Hillhead Jordanhill in the 2013 Sarah Beaney Cup Final at Murrayfield against RHC Cougars. [6]

Gaffney was in the Edinburgh University Women’s squad, which won three BUCS titles in 2016/17. [7]

International career

Gaffney has played for Scotland within the under-18, Scotland under-20, Scotland Women and Scotland Women 7s. [8]

Fifteens

Gaffney made her international debut off the bench for women's XVs against the Netherlands in Amsterdam in November 2011. [9] She secured her first start against England at Esher in the 2013 Women's Six Nations opener. [10]

In 2014, She scored her first points for Scotland against the Netherlands, running in two of the five tries in the FIRA WRWC qualifier win. [11] In 2017, she spent a year travelling in Australia and New Zealand, during which she played for the Manawatū Cyclones. [12]

Gaffney was part of the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship team and played in the team's defeat to England and Italy ahead of their closing game against Wales, which they went on to win. [13] Ahead of the match with Wales she told the BBC, "A win would be amazing. There's that saying, 'sometimes you win and sometimes you learn'. I feel like I've learned everything I need to know, I would like to win now." [14] During the match she scored the team's first try. [15] She was also part of the 2020 Women's Six Nations Championship, which was disrupted by COVID-19. [16]

Gaffney retired from international rugby after the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. [17] [18]

Sevens

In 2012, she was selected to play for the Great Britain women's sevens team at the World Student Games 7s in Brive in July 2012. [19]

Gaffney played in all four tournaments during the debut Scotland Women 7s season in 2012, scoring a try against France in Amsterdam, three tries at Rugby Rocks London, two tries at the FIRA-AER European qualifier in Ghent and two tries at the FIRA WRWC qualifier in Moscow. In the FIRA Grand Prix Series in 2013, she scored against Italy (Brive) and Germany (Marbella). [20]

In 2016, she was included in the initial Great Britain Olympic training squad for Rio 2016. [21] In 2017, she scored a try against Romania in the Europe Women’s Sevens Trophy, helping the team to victory in the overall championship. [22]

In 2020, she was one of six female Scottish rugby players selected for the Team GB Sevens training squad for the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics. [23] The GB Sevens team made headlines by putting Great Britain's men's and women's Olympic Sevens squads on equal pay. [24]

Personal life

Gaffney is a former North Berwick High School pupil, who began playing rugby aged seven for the North Berwick RFC Minis. At 15, she joined her high school team. [25]

Outside of rugby, she represented Scottish Schools in under-17 athletics. [26]

While completing her Masters in Sports Policy, Management and International Development at the University of Edinburgh, she played for the University team. [27]

The 28-year-old works for the School of Hard Knocks, which delivers life-changing programmes across the UK using rugby, boxing and strongman courses, supported by a curriculum of powerful life lessons. [28]

In 2020, she was selected from the women's Scottish team to model the homekit for Scotland's new season. [29]

Honours

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hillhead Jordanhill RFC</span> Rugby team

Hillhead Jordanhill Rugby Football Club (HJRFC) is a Scottish rugby union club based in Glasgow, Scotland. HJRFC has roots going as far back as 1904 with the formation of the Hillhead Sports Club, however, the rugby club as we know it today was founded in 1988 with a Women's section added in 1995, they have played at their current home ground, Hughenden in the West End of Glasgow since then. Despite their name, the club is not located in either Hillhead or Jordanhill, although the pre-merger clubs did have historical links with these areas. Hughenden is located in Hyndland beside Great Western Road.

Melrose Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Melrose Rugby Club, at The Greenyards in Melrose, Scotland. It is the oldest rugby sevens competition in the world, dating back to 1883 when the tournament was suggested by former Melrose player Ned Haig. English side London Scottish are the current champions after beating Edinburgh Accies 29–12 in the 2019 final to win the event for the first time since 1965.

The Scottish Women's Rugby Union (SWRU) was the national governing body for women's rugby union in Scotland. It was responsible for the governance of women's rugby union within Scotland. Its role was all encompassing. It went from youth recruitment, through administrating all senior based competition, through to the performance and management of the Scotland women's national rugby union team.

The Scottish Womens Premiership is the top national competition for women's rugby union clubs in Scotland. The 2021-2022 season began on 12 September 2021. Ayr RFC decided to step down from the Premiership to National League Division 1, they were replaced by Heriot’s Blues Women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scotland women's national rugby sevens team</span> Rugby team

The Scotland women's national sevens team is a minor rugby sevens team. They regularly compete at the Europe Women's Sevens.

The Women's domestic rugby union leagues in Scotland are organised in a similar vein to the men's domestic leagues: on a national basis for the top leagues and regional leagues below feeding into those leagues.

The 1979–80 Scottish Inter-District Championship was a rugby union competition for Scotland's district teams.

The Scottish Rugby Academy provides Scotland's up and coming rugby stars a dedicated focused routeway for development into the professional game. Entry is restricted to Scottish qualified students and both male and female entrants are accepted into 4 regional academies. The 2017–18 season sees the third year of the academy.

The Scottish Rugby Academy provides Scotland's up and coming rugby stars a dedicated focused routeway for development into the professional game. Entry is restricted to Scottish qualified students and both male and female entrants are accepted into 4 regional academies. The 2018–19 season sees the fourth year of the academy, now sponsored by Fosroc.

Hawick Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Hawick RFC, in Hawick, Scotland. The Hawick Sevens tournament started in 1886 and is the third extant oldest Sevens tournament in the world; behind Melrose Sevens (1883) and Gala Sevens (1884).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jed-Forest Sevens</span> Annual rugby sevens event

Jed-Forest Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Jed-Forest RFC, in Jedburgh, Scotland. The Jed-Forest Sevens was the fourth of the Border Sevens tournaments to be instated, in 1894, after the Melrose Sevens (1883), Gala Sevens (1884) and the Hawick Sevens (1885).

The Scottish Rugby Academy provides Scotland's up and coming rugby stars a dedicated focused routeway for development into the professional game. Entry is restricted to Scottish qualified students and both male and female entrants are accepted into 4 regional academies. The 2019-20 season sees the fifth year of the academy, now sponsored by Fosroc.

The Scottish Unofficial Championship was the top league of Scotland's best amateur rugby union clubs. The Championship was 'unofficial' as the Scottish Rugby Union held that the sport should remain amateur and at the time did not sanction competitive games between the clubs.

Panashe Muzambe is a Scottish professional rugby union player. She is the first black woman to play rugby for Scotland.

Louise Iona Matheson McMillan is a Scottish rugby player from Glasgow. She plays for Scotland and has frequently represented them in major championships since 2016, including the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship.

Hannah Smith is a Scottish rugby player from Falkirk. Since 2013, she has played in multiple Women's Six Nations Championships, including the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship. She was selected for the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics Team GB Rugby Sevens.

Abi Evans is a Scottish rugby union player from Livingston who played in the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship. She has played international rugby for Scotland since 2015.

Liz Musgrove is a Scottish rugby player from Edinburgh who has played in multiple Women's Six Nations Championships, including the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship, despite only taking up the sport at the age of 20. She is also a Junior British Judo Champion.

Molly Wright is a New Zealand-born Scottish rugby union player who plays for Sale Sharks Women in Premiership Women's Rugby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emma Orr</span> Scotland international rugby union player

Emma Orr is a Scottish rugby player from Biggar who plays for the Scotland women's national rugby union team and the Scotland women's national rugby sevens team. Currently plays club rugby for Heriots Blues Women in the Scottish Premiership.

References

  1. ↑ "Megan Gaffney". Scottish Rugby Union. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  2. ↑ Taylor, Megan (2021-03-03). "Heriot's Rugby Club congratulates Megan Gaffney on Team GB Sevens training squad selection". Heriots Rugby Club. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  3. ↑ Preece, John (2020-07-08). "Scotland's Megan Gaffney moves over to Heriots' Blues Women". The Edinburgh Reporter. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  4. ↑ "Gaffney in club switch ahead of the new season". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  5. ↑ "Megan excited ahead of Cup final with Watsonians". Watsonians RFC. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  6. ↑ "Megan Gaffney". Scottish Rugby Union. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  7. ↑ Max. "Megan Gaffney". Women's Rugby Data : Number 1 for Women's Rugby. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  8. ↑ "Megan Gaffney". Scottish Rugby Union. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  9. ↑ "Scottish team for Dutch challenge named". Scrum Queens. 2011-10-18. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  10. ↑ "England Women 76-0 Scotland Women". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  11. ↑ "Women's Rugby World Cup: Scotland impress in Dutch win". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  12. ↑ "Scotland Women internationalist Megan Gaffney to take a break from rugby career". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  13. ↑ "Liz Musgrove called into Scotland team for Six Nations clash". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  14. ↑ "'Scotland have learned from defeats'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  15. ↑ "Scotland 27 Wales 20: Scots' hard work pays off to end Six Nations on a high". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  16. ↑ Megan Gaffney & Hannah Smith talk Six Nations , retrieved 2021-05-20
  17. ↑ Bean, Graham (2023-02-21). "Scotland winger Megan Gaffney retires from international rugby". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  18. ↑ Millar, Gregor (2023-02-22). "Megan Gaffney announces retirement from international rugby". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  19. ↑ world.rugby. "Team GB women step up preparations for Rio 2016 | World Rugby". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  20. ↑ "Megan Gaffney". Scottish Rugby Union. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  21. ↑ Max. "Megan Gaffney". Women's Rugby Data : Number 1 for Women's Rugby. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  22. 1 2 "Liz Musgrove and Megan Gaffney help Scotland Women to 7s victory". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  23. ↑ Taylor, Megan (2021-03-03). "Heriot's Rugby Club congratulates Megan Gaffney on Team GB Sevens training squad selection". Heriots Rugby Club. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  24. ↑ "GB Sevens sides put on equal pay scheme". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  25. ↑ Preece, John (2020-07-08). "Scotland's Megan Gaffney moves over to Heriots' Blues Women". The Edinburgh Reporter. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  26. ↑ Max. "Megan Gaffney". Women's Rugby Data : Number 1 for Women's Rugby. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  27. ↑ Student Spotlight: Megan Gaffney , retrieved 2021-05-20
  28. ↑ "Megan Gaffney selected for new Scotland kit reveal". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  29. ↑ "Megan Gaffney selected for new Scotland kit reveal". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  30. ↑ "Megan Gaffney". Scottish Rugby Union. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  31. ↑ Max. "Megan Gaffney". Women's Rugby Data : Number 1 for Women's Rugby. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  32. ↑ "Scotland Women internationalist Megan Gaffney to take a break from rugby career". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.