Donna Kennedy wants to thank the whole of the Scottish rugby community for the messages and well wishes she has received, saying she has been “humbled” by everyone that has been in touch since it was announced that she was being inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.
On Wednesday morning it was made public that Kennedy, the Biggar product who played in the first ever Scotland Women’s Test versus Ireland in 1993 and went on to win a record 115 caps, is going to be added to the Hall of Fame at the World Rugby Awards in Monaco this Sunday.
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Emilee Cherry (Australia), DJ Forbes (New Zealand), Chris Laidlaw (New Zealand) and Sergio Parisse (Italy) are also being inducted and Kennedy will be the first Scottish female in the stellar global list which, after this group are added, will total 171.
“I was out walking the dog early on Wednesday when my phone started to ping over and over again,” Kennedy said.
“At first, I wondered what was going on, then it dawned on me that the news was being made public and when I looked at my phone I was just taken aback and humbled really by all the lovely and heartfelt messages that people were sending me.
“There were messages from throughout the rugby community whether it was ex-team-mates or simply supporters who were sending their congratulations and that just reiterated to me once again why we love rugby.
“When you are playing in the same team as people when you are young you maybe don’t quite comprehend that, but years on I am lifelong friends with people who I played with for Scotland and we share a special bond that is hard to put into words at times.
“That is why, as chuffed as I am to have personally received this news, I want to dedicate my induction into the Hall of Fame to the whole of the Scottish rugby community and everyone that helped me along the way in my career because I could not have done it without them.”
Kennedy, 52, mentions family and it is fitting that her wife Karen Jones, who is a former England cap herself and is now clinical services lead with England Rugby and club doctor for Gloucester, is going to be travelling with her to Monaco on Sunday.
“Karen has been with me along the way and rugby has been a massive part of our life together,” Kennedy explained.
“We have busy lives with our work, the kids and the dogs, so it will be nice to spend a couple of days in Monaco together, enjoy the ceremony alongside some of the greats of world rugby and really take a step back and realise how special this is.
“Once I was home from the dog walk, the video of former and current Scotland players wishing me well also popped up and I think the excellent run the current squad have had in late 2023 and into 2024 and now this news can spur everyone on as we move into a massive 2025 with the Rugby World Cup in England.
Ned Haig, Melrose RFC, Sir Ian McGeechan, Bill Maclagan, Gavin Hastings, David Bedell-Sivright, James Greenwood, Gordon Brown, Bill McLaren, Andy Irvine, George Macpherson and Jim Telfer are the previously inducted Scots that Kennedy is now joining at the top table of world rugby.
And quite rightly too given that all her 115 caps were earned from the start of Test matches, she part of the history-making squad to secure Scotland Women their first Grand Slam in 1998, she featured in five World Cups in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2010 and was named the IRB Women’s Personality of the Year in 2005.
Those statistics only tell part of the story of Kennedy’s influence on rugby in Scotland though and the drive and determination she has to help the next generation continue to get better through guidance and mentorship is second to none.
When she speaks people listen and on Sunday she will get her deserved moment in the sun.
“It is going to be a great occasion at the weekend and a great opportunity to keep pushing women’s rugby forward,” the former Worcester player and founder of 115 Coaching Ltd.
“As I say, this recognition is not just for me, but it is for so many other people and it feels extra special because of that.”
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