Hawick’s Lisa Thomson to be first female player inducted into Borders rugby hall of fame

Borderer Lisa Thomson in action for Team GB's rugby sevens side during their 57-0 win against Colombia in Vancouver in Canada on Saturday (Pic: Don MacKinnon/AFP via Getty Images)

Scotland rugby international Lisa Thomson is to become the first woman to be inducted into Melrose Sevens’ hall of fame.

That announcement was made today, March 8, to mark International Women’s Day.

The Hawick 25-year-old started her rugby career at Jed Minis, moving on to East of Scotland’s under-18s, Scotland under-18s, under-20s and senior national side.

At club level, she played for Langholm’s under-15, helping them win the Brewin Dolphin Under-15 Cup in 2012, and Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Wanderers under-18s before joining Melrose Ladies.

Lisa Thomson on the ball for Scotland during a Women's Rugby World Cup pool match versus New Zealand in Whangarei in October (Photo by Marty Melville/AFP via Getty Images)

She made her international debut against England in the 2016 Women’s Six Nations and has picked up a further 48 caps at XVs since, as well as playing for the Scottish sevens team prior to their merger with Team GB.

She was last in action for Britain at the World Rugby Sevens Series’ Canadian round in Vancouver at the weekend, concluding with a 25-5 seventh-place play-off victory against Ireland on Sunday.

As an applied sports science student at Edinburgh University, she was named as player of the match when her side beat St Andrews in the Varsity Cup in 2015.

The Sale Sharks inside centre said: “I wouldn’t be where I am today without Melrose.

“It was my first adult club, giving me the opportunity to play at the highest level when I was 17.

“It was a huge honour to play for Melrose. I will forever be indebted to the club.

“Also Mike Bleasdale did so much for us and he did so much for me. He was always giving me extra coaching at the end of sessions and making sure I was always improving.

“I will forever be in debt to Melrose and it’s a huge honour to be inducted into the hall of fame. It means a lot.”

Her former head of physical education at Hawick High School, Bruce Aitchison, now host of the Happiness is Egg-Shaped podcast, added: “It’s been fantastic to watch Lisa Thomson’s journey from the Borders all the way to Scotland and Scotland sevens and Great Britain at the Olympics, so to see her induced into the hall of fame is fantastic reward for all of her hard work.

“She is an amazing role model for all young rugby players in the Borders.”

Thomson will be inducted on Thursday, April 6.