Falkirk RFC's Women are crowned unbeaten Aspiring League champions

And that incredible championship victory comes less than two years from when the team stated up. Come and try rugby sessions were put on with the hope of attracting players, and some early training nights only had a handful of players – but the team now boosts a strong cohort that have created a family atmosphere.

Fast forward to now and Falkirk have chalked up three wins from three outings in the aspiring programme, earning them a step up for next season.

Proud head coach Callum Hunter hailed his players for how far they come in such a short space of time.

He said: “The progress the players have made has been immense, from our very first come and try session with around ten players to winning the Aspiring League in less than two years has been some journey.

"Credit goes to the players and their dedication to training, they stuck it out when number were low and are now getting to see the rewards of their hard work. They should all be exceptionally proud of themselves, not only for winning, but also for how much each individual has improved in such a short period.”

Team captain Morven Hylands added: “I’m so incredibly proud of the dedication and hard work every single player has put in to get us here. It’s so inspiring to see how much we’ve accomplished in only two years. Now we know what we’re capable of we want to keep challenging ourselves and continue to grow as a team.”

For many of the team, it was the first time that they had ever played rugby and player Lauren Baigrie highlighted the new-found passion she’s found alongside her team-mates.

“I joined the club ten weeks ago,” she said. “I had never played rugby before but became inspired by watching the Women’s Rugby World Cup. I joined right before the league season began, and the team and coaching staff were so supportive in my development. I was doubtful that I’d be good enough to play, but they encouraged me to try, and I’ve loved every second.

“In the last ten weeks I’ve become so proud of myself. I’ve played every league game, scored two tries, made friends for life, and found a passion for the game. Winning the league tops off the perfect start to my rugby journey and I couldn’t think of a better team to experience it with.”

Falkirk 57-24 Gala: match report

Falkirk RFC’s Women sealed the Aspiring League title in style, writes Sophie Robertson.

Falkirk were dominant in the first half, playing with structure and composure. The first points on the board came from a series of forceful carries from the forwards gaining precious yards following a Falkirk lineout. From there, Lauren Baigrie charged through the defence from their 5-metre line to score under the posts.

Their success continued shortly after from a Falkirk scrum, when Aimee Hunter provided the clearance kick that was chased and collected by Katie Galloway, who offloaded to Lois Cant to sprint around the defence and score.

Falkirk continued to build momentum with a further three tries. The first came from Sophie Robertson who received the ball out wide, and skilfully shimmied her way through defenders to score. The second was another for Lois Cant, again showcasing her exceptional pace to beat defenders and touch down under the posts. The third saw Sophie Robertson claim her second of the match, following a strong break from Aimee Hunter and a series of quick offloads that found Robertson sprinting clear to score between the posts.

Abi Skelton successfully converted each of the first-half tries, securing the additional points and extending Falkirk’s lead heading into the second half.

Despite Falkirk’s dominance, the first half concluded with Gala crossing the line out wide, and adding the conversion, after multiple attacking phases for a scoreline of 35-7.

The second half began with an early score from Gala. After a series of phases, a turnover by Falkirk, and then a regain of possession by Gala, they managed to draw the Falkirk defence in before finding space out wide to cross the line. A successful conversion brought them closer on the scoreboard.

Falkirk bounced back quickly, capitalising on a Gala knock-on and building momentum through several controlled phases. Lynn Penman spotted a gap in the defence and worked hard to get the ball down for a well-earned try. The conversion was successfully added by Abi Skelton, extending Falkirk’s lead. A third try of the half came straight from the kick-off, with Katie Galloway collecting the ball and using her pace to beat everyone on the outside.

Gala struck back soon after, taking advantage of a brief lapse in defensive aggression from Falkirk to sneak through and get over the line.

It wasn’t long before Falkirk responded again. Strong carries from forwards created space out wide, allowing Lauren Hamilton to finish on the wing. Another try was quickly added to Falkirk’s lead when Lois Cant gathered the restart, sprinted around the defence, and offloaded to Aimee Hunter, who carried it in to score.

Gala rounded off the match with a final try in the corner after stretching the Falkirk defence in the closing minutes but that didn’t take anything away from what was a convincing 57-24 victory.