'They can aim to get to the semi-finals at the World Cup': Donna Kennedy on Scotland

Scotland Women have given themselves a brilliant platform over the last 17 months with 10 wins from 13 Tests, WXV 2 silverware, and climbing to an all-time high of number five in the World Rugby Women’s Rankings just this week.

And now, as they prepare to fly off to South Africa today [Thursday] bidding to defend their WXV 2 title, they can use that platform to kick on again and can aim for a top-four finish at the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England next year.

That is the view of Donna Kennedy, Scotland’s record cap holder with 115 appearances, who never took a backward step during her career and doesn’t want the current crop to take a backward step now either.

“When you have momentum in sport and within a squad, it is something special and something that gets you on the front foot,” Kennedy, the former No.8 who played between 1993 and 2010 with distinction for her country, said.

“When you have that momentum you have to keep using it and I think the players in the current Scotland squad have taken confidence from the way they have played and the way they have come on over the last while, but the encouraging thing is that they know they can still get better.

“WXV 2 is obviously their main priority right now and there they will be playing teams in and around them in the world rankings so it will be a good marker of where they are at.

“But they are also in the nice position of having a bit of momentum a year out from a World Cup which has not been the case for a while [they missed the 2014 and 2017 events then had to go to final qualifying to get to the 2021 played in 2022 tournament].

“It means that they can really set out their aims and objectives for the next year and I think, if they keep improving the way they are, then they can aim to get to the semi-finals at the World Cup and a top-four finish.

“That will certainly take some doing with the likes of England and New Zealand around - their game at the weekend just gone was on another level - as well as France, Canada and others in the mix, but you always have to want to continuously get better so why not aim high.”

As Kennedy rightly acknowledges there is still plenty of work to be done for the Scots to compete against the top four sides on a regular basis, but Scotland’s rapid rise to fifth above Australia after recent comprehensive wins over Wales and Fiji is, rightly, being celebrated north of the border as the team board the plane for Cape Town.

Remember, this was a team that was outside the top 10 in the rankings as recently as last April and, at that point, had lost 12 Tests in a row.

Since then, the turnaround has been nothing short of amazing. As mentioned, 10 wins have come in the last 13 Tests - Italy, Ireland, Spain, South Africa, USA, Japan, Wales, Italy again, Wales again and Fiji being dispatched with losses have come against France, England and Ireland - while seven of the wins came in a row to set a Scottish record including three which helped claim the WXV 2 title in 2023.

Before the current run, Scotland won 10 and drew one out of 41 Tests dating back to 2017 so while professional contracts and such like have certainly helped of late without a doubt, the coaches and the playing staff must take massive credit for where they have taken this programme.

In terms of World Cup performances, Kennedy was part of the squad that finished fifth in the 1994 tournament which was held in Scotland, a remarkable achievement given they had only played their first-ever Test match just over a year earlier in February 1993.

At that stage, they were seen as fifth in the world standings, but the official World Rugby Women's Rankings did not begin until February 2016.

Since then, at World Cups the Scots have finished sixth in 1998, 2002 and 2006, eighth in 2010 the last time the showpiece event was held in England, and 10th in 2022.

“There is some really good talent coming through now and the most important thing that there is now is depth,” Kennedy, 52, stated about the current squad.

“That depth is starting to come through in key positions such as No.8, scrum-half, stand-off and in the back three and that competition for places is pushing everyone on to higher standards while it is also allowing head coach Bryan Easson and his staff the chance to rotate players, keep players fresh for certain games and use the bench more to make an impact.

“There are also players who understand their specific roles more now and the momentum we talked about has given them confidence and a bit more steeliness going into games, they are harder to beat now and back themselves.

“There are still lots of things that can be worked on to try and bridge the gap to the top four, getting more big ball carriers into the game more often and being more ruthless at times for example, but they are certainly in a good place to take things forward and it is great to see.”

 Meanwhile, as mentioned, Kennedy never took a backward step during her career - and she still does not.

She is always looking for her next challenge to fuel her competitive desires and, after recently completing the Snowdonia Skyline Challenge over the summer with some other rugby legends, Kennedy has now turned her focus to her biggest post-rugby challenge yet.

“A group of rugby pals will be getting together soon to climb the 3096 metre Mont Buet in France to raise funds for LooseHeadz, a charity dedicated to breaking the stigma around mental health in rugby,” Kennedy, who now runs 115 Coaching, explained.

“It has come around quickly as we will be out there from September 26 to 29, but I am looking forward to it and by the time these challenges start I am always buzzing as it is as close to playing in a big rugby game gets after your career.”

While Kennedy is tackling Mont Buet, on September 28 Scotland will be starting their WXV 2 campaign versus Italy before games with Japan (October 5) and Australia (October 12). Scotland and Kennedy both have mountains to climb soon, but they are up for the respective challenges. 

To get behind Donna Kennedy and those involved in the Looseheadz Mont Buet Climb click here.