Bruce Aitchison pays tribute to Rachel Malcolm ahead of 50th cap

There have been some incredibly inspirational women who have fulfilled the role, starting in 1993 with Sandra Colamartino the first, onto Kim Littlejohn and beyond.

I think all, like me, look at Rachel Malcolm in total and utter awe.

I believe leaders are made, nurtured and developed. Rachel is the product of her environment and the experiences she has had through a very busy life.

When Rachel started out in sport, being a professional rugby player wasn’t a realistic career path, but it was for her brother. Rachel played hockey, and she played it well.

Scotland captain Rachel Malcolm with her family (Image: SNS) She’s aware she has it better than those who have gone before, but not as good as those who will come after. This has made her incredibly humble.

She was a student athlete, and balancing those two priorities takes a lot of dedication, commitment and organisation. She excelled in both her studies and her sport, playing hockey for Scotland at various age groups. And then the world started to change…

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Rugby kind of happened to Rachel, and the rest is history, but the struggles were real.

Rachel got involved in England, outside her comfort zone and where the numbers and challenges were greater. She hasn’t always played in the back-row, meaning it took her time to find her place, learning along the way.

Rachel Malcolm celebrates a win for Loughborough Lightning (Image: Clive Wood/Loughborough Lightning)

She played because she loved the game and the people in it, this has never left her. It wasn’t destiny, it wasn’t through an academy, it was entirely through her own motivation.

Female athletes always face challenges, questions on their value, body shape, sexuality, career, income…the list goes on. 

Rachel has dealt with them all through her actions. I have no doubt, Rachel has become a skilled politician, but none of it has played out in public, but I would guess that many of the ‘advances’ made in recent years, have been made with the calm viewpoint of Dr Malcolm being heard.

Her peers, at club and country, love her. They respect her and follow her into battle knowing she will be there with them through thick and thin.

She’s there for them all as a mentor and spokesperson, but most importantly, as a friend.

The Scotland Women squad haven’t had their challenges and setbacks to seek under her guidance, and every single situation has been dealt with empathy and compassion, but with a steal that shows she gets it done. And often, with a huge hug.

Being captain brings A lot of extra duties. Being captain of club and country, means your opinion, your words and your behaviour are under immense scrutiny.

Rachel Malcolm speaks to the media (Image: SNS) She never falters. She’s not Ms Consistent, because that undersells her, she’s Ms Outstanding.

All of this, along with the heavy defeats, the close-run losses, the draw, the wins, the changing of the squad and coaches too, a World Cup, a WXV2 victory, and the climb to fifth place in the world… Rachel has been a constant.

A role model for others to aspire to. She’s been through much of what a dedicated amateur would go through, gaining qualifications and having a life outside of the game, building relationships based on the person she is, rather than the player she is, allowing her to talk with princesses and paupers and treat them all with kindness and respect.

But the best bit? The best bit of all is the Rachel Malcolm smile. As she steps off the bus, greets supporters, poses for selfies, speaks to the press, negotiates with the ref, plays, trains, drinks coffee, supports her teammates, stands for the anthems or posts on social media, the smile is ever-present.

Rachel Malcolm is all-smiles as she leads Scotland off the bus at Murrayfield (Image: SNS) She enjoys smashing into people and clearing rucks, but the smile is never gone for long. Rachel enjoys her role and the responsibility it brings. I’ve never heard her say ‘it’s too much’ or ‘the demand is too great’ or seen her ignore a selfie request. She relishes the chance to make an impact.

And what an impact she is having. She never tires and her work ethic on the pitch is a direct reflection of her workload off the pitch, it’s relentless.

Cap number 50 took me by surprise, I thought she was hitting closer to 150, she’s packed so much in.

I hope there is a lot more to come. I think rugby is a better place with Dr Rachel Malcolm in it.

Rachel Malcolm with Bruce Aitchison (Image: Bruce Aitchison) I think the greatest celebrations of the milestone will be by her team-mates, and the greatest pride will be from her family, friends and supporters, because to her, it’s just Rachel doing Rachel things.

One day, I hope she’ll get the chance to stop, look back and reflect at the enormous impact she has had on the game, her country and the people who admire her.

When her rugby career is finished, I can imagine a wander up Everest, a row across the Atlantic, a trek across the Sahara, First Minister, Prime Minister and the Head of the UN wouldn’t be too far-fetched, and she’d smile all the way.