Scotland winger Megan Gaffney retires from international rugby

Megan Gaffney, the 45-times capped Scotland winger, has announced her retirement from international rugby.

Megan Gaffney scores against Japan in 2021. The winger has announced her retirement from international rugby. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

The 31-year-old, who was also a Sevens international, made her Scotland debut off the bench against the Netherlands in Amsterdam in November 2011. Her final appearance for the national side came on the biggest stage when she scored two tries in the narrow loss to Wales at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand last autumn.

During a decorated career, Gaffney also played a key part in helping the Scotland Sevens team qualify for their first ever Commonwealth Games, in Birmingham last summer.

Speaking of her decision to retire, she said: “It is the right time. I feel like I want to put energy into other things in my life and I would never want to wear the thistle if I felt I couldn’t give it my all so it’s a timing thing and where I am at in my life more than anything else. I just want to leave the jersey in a good place and I feel like I have done that.”

She said that qualifying for the Covid-delayed World Cup in New Zealand was her most cherished memory. “My favourite ever moment was when Sarah Law took that kick in Italy back in 2021,” she said. “Watching videos of it now is like ‘oh my goodness, I was there and that really happened’. I think that’s the most iconic moment, even though it was nothing to do with me, I was just watching, but to see that happen and to be part of that was really special.”

Gaffney singled out one of her teachers at North Berwick High School for providing the encouragement to get involved in rugby. “When I was 15, Suzanne Ritchie who was a teacher of mine at school, started a girls rugby club at the high school in North Berwick. I feel like if that hadn’t happened, I probably wouldn’t have got back into the sport and played to this level. She was very encouraging and drove us all over to training days and just having someone willing to put in that commitment allowed me to explore rugby a bit more.”