Rachel Malcolm

A superb blindside flanker, Dr Rachel Malcolm captains the Scotland women's rugby union team and Loughborough Lightning. She made her international debut in 2016 during Scotland's first Rugby World Cup Qualifier.

Born on 23 May 1991 in Glasgow, Rachel Malcolm comes from a family of rugby players. Her oldest brother, Donald, previously played for the Scotland U19s side, while her younger brother, James, currently represents Seattle Seawolves. Her dad, Walter, also played district rugby.

In addition to her sporting family, Malcolm also has an impressive background in academia. As a doctor, she graduated with a PhD in environmental physiology from Nottingham Trent University—she enrolled as a part-time student to balance lecturing with her rugby training. Today, she is a dedicated Applied Sport Science lecturer and a professional rugby player.

Outside of education, Malcolm's talent was first spotted at a game of touch-rugby in 2015. In the same year, she signed to Lichfield Ladies. Two years later, in 2017, she transferred to Loughborough Lightning and captained the team during their inaugural Premiership season.

A few months later, Malcolm made her first start for Scotland at the 2017 Six Nations. However, she suffered an injury during the match and had to miss the rest of the tournament. The following year, she played a key role in Scotland’s historic victory over Ireland. She scored a penalty during the test, helping Scotland to secure their first ever win against the Irish team.

Two years later, in 2019, Malcolm was named as captain for Scotland's first summer tour—the team travelled to South Africa. She was set to lead the squad at the 2021 Six Nations, but sadly she sustained a knee injury one minute into their opening match.

Fortunately, Malcolm returned to form and she captained Scotland during the next three Six Nations. Her biggest highlight occurred at the 2023 tournament: she crossed the line against Ireland and successfully steered the team to their epic 36-10 result.

Known for her dedication and tireless work rate, we look forward to seeing what else Rachel Malcolm can accomplish.