It’s been more than a decade in the making and for the first time in 12 years Scotland will be at the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
It will be a homecoming of sorts for one Scotland player who moved over to the land of the brave six years ago.
Bred in Reefton, hooker Molly Wright is now one of the many products who’ve come out of the local rugby club.
Wright has been selected for Scotland through residency and says she has been overwhelmed with support.
“All the messages I get are so supportive, and it’s amazing that that’s the response that you can get, and people can see that and think its achievable and absolutely it is, doesn’t matter where you come from,” she says.
The Reefton kid has punched above her weight from a young age, as her parents explain “she played with the boys at U14 and U16 level. She’s pretty fearless when she goes into tackle or contact as her brother found out growing up.”
Wright, a physio by trade, moved to Edinburgh for work in 2017 but professional rugby was never on the radar.
“I thought I’d retired, was traveling around a bit and needed some pals so I decided to join the local rugby club as you do.”
That club just turned out to be one of the best in Scotland, playing for the Watsonians in a cup final, almost by accident it was there the 31-year-old picked up a national contract.
She’s been donning the thistle for three years now and when she returns to New Zealand, there will be a tiny tartan army desperate to watch her play.
It will be a big cup campaign for the Scots facing reigning World Champs the Black Ferns in pool play.
But despite being a Kiwi, there’s only one nation Wright is devoted to.
“My loyalties now are to the thistle through and through and I expect to see lots of brave heart faces.”
They may have claimed her, but Wright will always be the Reefton kid proving that anything’s possible.
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