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Lana Skeldon

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Lana Skeldon
Date of birth (1993-10-18) 18 October 1993 (age 31)
Place of birthMelrose, Scotland
Height1.61 m (5 ft 3+1⁄2 in)
Weight80 kg (180 lb; 12 st 8 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Hooker
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2017-2018 Watsonians ()
2018-2020 Darlington Mowden Park Sharks ()
2021-2023 Worcester Warriors Women ()
2023-present Bristol Bears Women ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2011–present Scotland 66 (98)

Lana Skeldon (born 18 October 1993) is a Scottish professional rugby player from Hawick.[1] She has played in multiple Women's Six Nations Championships, including the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship.[2]

Club career

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Skeldon began her club career playing at Tennent’s Women’s Premier League side, Watsonians. She began playing for DMP Sharks in the Premier 15s in 2019.[3]

She's been part of a Scottish Schools Cup-winning team on three occasions at U15 and U18 with Gala Girls and won the plate with Melrose Ladies in 2013.[4]

She typically played six in back-row before one of her coaches offered her the chance to play as a hooker. She describes this as a turning point in her career.[5]

In 2021 Skeldon was signed by Worcester Warriors. After Worcester left the Women's Premiership in 2023, she was signed to play for Bristol Bears[6]

International career

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Skeldon made her international debut for XVs against the Netherlands in 2011.[7] Before that, she represented Scotland Women U15, U16, U18 and U20.[8] She was eleven when she started playing for Scotland.[9]

Skeldon was named as one of eight ‘2021’ contracted players by Scottish Rugby ahead of the 2018/19 season, enabling her to train full-time.[10]

She was part of the team that defeated Wales at Broadwood in 2017, which she describes as her proudest moment.[11][12]

Skeldon was also part of the team that defeated Italy in 2017, converting tries for team mate Chloe Rollie.[13]

Skeldon played in the 2019 South African tour, in which the Scottish team won two of its matches, playing for the first time in the Southern hemisphere.[14][15]

She played in the 2020 Women's Six Nations Championship, which was disrupted due to COVID-19.[16] She was also part of the squad for the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship, playing in all three matches against England, Italy and Wales.[17]

Personal life

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The former pupil of Hawick High School spent her teenage years playing football, hockey and rugby before dedicating her time fully to the latter.[18]

Her mother Ann Skeldon played rugby for Hawick Ladies and Skeldon states this as her inspiration for learning the sport.[19] Her father Michael also played rugby, representing Hawick Harlequins.[20]

Before being awarded a Scottish Rugby 2021 contract, she worked in a cashmere factory in Hawick, balancing work with her rugby training commitments.[21][22]

Based at Borders Academy, she coaches local rugby and studies sport fitness and coaching with the Open University.[23]

Lana is a passionate advocate for women's rugby, and spoke about this in an interview with ITV in 2020 for International Women's Day.[24] In 2020, she was among the Scottish players who took part in a sponsored run in Edinburgh to help promote the sport to more women and girls.[25]

References

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  1. ^ "Lana Skeldon". Scottish Rugby Union. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  2. ^ "Lana Skeldon". Scottish Rugby Union. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  3. ^ "From weighing jumpers to picking them out - Scotland hooker Skeldon's journey to international rugby". BBC Sport. 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  4. ^ "Lana Skeldon". Scottish Rugby Union. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  5. ^ "Lana Skeldon (Scotland Women's Rugby International): Doing what it takes. by The LTAD Network Podcast • A podcast on Anchor". Anchor. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  6. ^ "Lana Skeldon & Evie Gallagher: Ex-Worcester and Scotland internationals join Bristol". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  7. ^ "My Rugby Life: Lana Skeldon - Women's Six Nations". Six Nations Rugby. 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  8. ^ "Lana Skeldon". www.ultimaterugby.com. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  9. ^ "Lana Skeldon (Scotland Women's Rugby International): Doing what it takes. by The LTAD Network Podcast • A podcast on Anchor". Anchor. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  10. ^ "Scotland award eight contracts". Scrum Queens. 2018-07-26. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  11. ^ "Frank, Fearless and Female: Lana Skeldon". ITV News. 2020-03-04. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  12. ^ "Scotland Women 15-14 Wales Women". BBC Sport. 2017-02-24. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  13. ^ "Women's Six Nations: Scotland 14-12 Italy". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  14. ^ Bathgate, Stuart (2020-02-20). "Lana Skeldon believes Scotland are ready to put in complete performance". The Offside Line. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  15. ^ Heatly, Gary (2019-10-05). "South Africa v Scotland: tourists complete the double in style". The Offside Line. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  16. ^ "Putting together missing pieces of 2020 Six Nations". www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  17. ^ "Lana Skeldon feeling optimistic despite Scotland's defeat to England in Six Nations opener". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  18. ^ "Lana Skeldon (Scotland Women's Rugby International): Doing what it takes. by The LTAD Network Podcast • A podcast on Anchor". Anchor. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  19. ^ "I have so much pride playing for Scotland" | My Rugby Life: Lana Skeldon | 2021 Women's Six Nations, retrieved 2021-05-11
  20. ^ "Women's Six Nations: Scotland's Lana Skeldon on her mum, cashmere & rugby". BBC Sport. 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  21. ^ "Women's Six Nations: Scotland's Lana Skeldon on her mum, cashmere & rugby". BBC Sport. 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  22. ^ Palmer, Mark. "Lana Skeldon feels benefit of focusing fully on rugby". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  23. ^ "Women's Six Nations: Scotland's Lana Skeldon on her mum, cashmere & rugby". BBC Sport. 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  24. ^ "Frank, Fearless and Female: Lana Skeldon". ITV News. 2020-03-04. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  25. ^ "Lana puts in the hard yards to benefit game". The Hawick Paper. 2020-12-18. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
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