Tackling rugby head on – Orkney's Cailynn Williamson secures her first Scottish cap

Aged just seven, Orkney’s Cailynn Williamson was the only young girl at rugby training.  

Far from putting her off the largely male-dominated sport, it made the now 16-year-old more determined than ever to take part – and last weekend she ran out for the Scotland U16 squad, gaining her first cap for the country.  

Cailynn travelled down to Gala Rugby Football Club to join up with the rest of the Scotland Selkies U16 squad for an International Rugby Festival at Netherdale on Saturday 4 May.  

A series of fixtures had been arranged against other girls' sides from the Netherlands, Wales (Rygbi Gogledd Cymru) & Scotland Scathach.  

Travel is nothing new to Cailynn and her family and their commitment to the game is second to none - this season alone she has travelled over 4000 miles for rugby, in the middle of prelims and now exams!  

But it has all been worth it for the Performance Development Programme (PDP) athlete – a scheme run through Orkney Islands Council (OIC) and sportscotland. Through the programme support is given to athletes on the performance pathway which includes physical preparation, performance lifestyle support, nutrition support and physio guidance.  

Cailynn said: “The set up at Gala was so professional with our kit laid out properly and we were called onto the pitch by our names which was very cool but also very surreal.”  

Cailynn played half a game against the Scotland Scathach girls as full back and then scrum half for the Welsh game – a position also played by her mum, Charlene, a keen Orkney rugby player.  

The game was tied until the end, where Wales slipped in a couple of extra tries, finishing 15-5 but Cailynn and the Scottish squad put in a superb performance.  

Getting this far has been no mean feat and Cailynn has received vital assistance from Orkney Rugby Football Club coaching staff, alongside the PDP programme.  

Charlene said: “Starting on the PDP programme has been hugely beneficial for Cailynn as she gets her strength and conditioning sessions in, but also having Lee Rendall for guidance on any injuries and niggles has been amazing. The athletes also have access to nutritional support/advice and recently performance lifestyle support.”  

She's been working with Orkney Community Rugby Coach, Alastair Morgan as well as training with the U16 boys to develop her game awareness as a no. 9 and it has really paid off.  

Rugby Development Officer, Sean Corrigall has provided invaluable help and without support from ORFC and individual sponsorship from NorthLink Ferries, Cailynn simply couldn’t have travelled every weekend to compete with the Caithness team she is part of, as there’s no Orkney team for her age group as yet.  

She now waits to hear what the next steps are as she moves into U18s but there are skill sessions and camps in the works before the regional series starts again in the winter.  

Juggling rugby, travelling and studying has been hard work and some extra tuition has been required.  

Charlene added: “Stromness Academy have been very supportive of her missing the odd morning of school, but she has had to work hard to keep on top of her schoolwork. We have found an online tutor that she can use on the road as well as accessing a bit more extra support at home from Lyndsay Drever for Biology (who has been her number 1 support fan) and her uncle Mervyn Tait meeting her every week before PDP to go over maths work.”