Rugby may have come in to Hannah Sloan’s life relatively late, but it has rapidly become a major focus of this keen young sportswoman, who works full time on the family farm at Rigghead, Dumfries
The 1400-acre mixed farm includes the 300-head Rigghead herd of Holsteins, 180 suckler cows, 30 pedigree Charollais and Zwartble sheep and 120 cross ewes. Hannah is responsible for calf rearing, feeding cows, general tractor work, sheep work and also does relief milking when needed. Sport has always been something Hannah has been keen on, competing with ponies and horses at national level and also being capped for Scotland in the U15 girls football team.
At university Hannah took the opportunity to take up rugby. “I’d always wanted to play rugby, but football and horses had always come first, so when I started University it was a chance to have a go.” She was soon playing for the university team and in two seasons notched up almost 50 tries. Hannah’s skill at the game was soon recognised by the Scotland squad when she was selected to play for the Scotland U20 ladies team.
Once her love for the game had taken hold at university Hannah looked for a team closer to home, with the nearest ladies team being Stewartry Sirens, based 25 miles away at Castle Douglas. Here Hannah secured a regular place in the team and in the 2013-14 season the Sirens won Division Three, gaining promotion to Division Two where they finished second in 2014-2015. Also in 2015 the team won the BT Plate final at Murrayfield, with Hannah scoring three of the six tries to see them win 36:17 against Ayr.
Hannah won her first cap for Scotland last year when she played against Italy in the autumn internationals and then secured her place in the Six Nations Squad 2015. “Just
Daily Routine: 7am: Feed calves 9am: Breakfast 9.15am: Feeding cows and general farm work 12noon: Lunch 4pm: Feed calves 5.30pm: Ride two horses 7-9pm: Rugby training 9pm: Tea 10.30pm: Pre bed snack
56 THE JOURNAL JUNE 2015
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