Scottish Rugby Youth Panel

Scottish Rugby’s Youth Panel has been established to provide a platform for youth perspectives to be listened to and understood. The Panel play an important role in providing influence on a number of Scottish Rugby decisions as they work alongside the Rugby Development department.

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Meet the Youth Panel

  • Abi Barrett: Biggar, Glasgow North

    From dancing, karate, swimming and tennis, Abi Barrett has just about tried every sport and she’s liked them, but never loved them. But when Abi’s brother encouraged her to try rugby, she finally found a sport to love.

    Abi was invited to join a high-performance programme at her local club, Biggar, and since then has flourished as a player.

    The 16-year-old aspires to support other young girls in her local area to engage in rugby to help grow the game.

    Abi said: “I’m so glad that I found rugby, and I want other young girls to enjoy the benefits of the game too. That’s why it’s important as a Youth Panel we work together to help inform decision making and present creative ideas to improve the game for the future generations, especially girls.”

  • Charlotte Campbell: Cartha Queen’s Park, Glasgow North

    Charlotte Campbell’s journey in rugby started when she was 8-years-old at Paisley RFC. Aged 15, she went on to gain her Level 1 (Coaching Essentials) qualification and she chose to apply her new skills with the youth touch rugby team.

    Now aged 16, Charlotte has taken her passion for playing and coaching to Cartha Queen’s Park, where she aims to use her role not only to support other players improve their skills, but also act as a role model for younger girls.

    Charlotte said: “The mantra of ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’ inspires me in my work, and I hope that as a member of the Youth Panel, other people can see that the future of our game starts with young people. I’m really excited to be part of the team.”

  • Georgina Adams: University of Edinburgh Rugby, East

    Originally heralding from Perth, Georgina Adams first began playing rugby at the age of 10. Although an injury to the knee stopped Georgina from playing, her love of the game led her to coaching.

    Since completing her Level 2 (Aspiring Coaching) course last year, Georgina has gone on to support women’s teams including Lismore and Queen Margaret University. In addition, Georgina provided coaching at Scottish Rugby’s Player Development Hubs for the East region, supporting hubs U15 boys and U16 girls.

    The 19-year-old is now lending her coaching expertise to the University of Edinburgh Rugby as an Assistant Coach to the Women’s 2XV.

    Georgina said: “It is an honour to be appointed to the Scottish Rugby Youth Panel. Rugby has given me so much over the years, and I’m excited to give back to the game and represent the views of other young people in my region.”

  • Scarlett Crossan: Edinburgh Harlequins, East

    Hailing from Dumfrieshire, Scarlett Crossan’s rugby journey first began when she was 9 years old, starting with the Langholm Minis team.

    Moving onto the Gala Vixens and East Lothian Girls between U12 and U16 ages, Scarlett now plays her rugby with Edinburgh Harlequins U18 side.

    When Scarlett isn’t on the pitch, she volunteers her time with Langholm Rugby Club as a youth coach where she has completed more than 100 hours of work for her Saltire Award.

    Scarlett said: “Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always wanted to make a difference in the world of sport, so I’m ecstatic to be part of the Youth Panel. Sport can have a huge impact on young people’s mental and physical wellbeing, so I hope I can use my new role to promote these benefits and support more young people in my region get into rugby.”

  • Ellie-Jo Simpson: Perthshire RFC, Caledonia Midlands

    Ellie-Jo first picked up a rugby ball in 2017, starting out with Dundee Rugby Club. Since then, she has gone on to captain the Tayside U16 Girls team leading them to victories in the National Shield and Caledonia Shield finals.

    When Ellie-Jo isn’t playing, she can often be found volunteering her time as a coach. Last year she began coaching the S1-S2 boys rugby team at her school.

    More recently the 16-year-old has been working with Perthshire Rugby Club to support the recruitment and development of their girls’ section.

    Ellie-Jo said: “I was so pleased to be named on the new Youth Panel. I’m really looking forward to working with the rest of the team, who like me, are passionate about driving the game forward.”

  • Hollie Howland: Falkirk High School, Caledonia Midlands

    Hollie’s first sporting love was gymnastics, taking it up aged just three. Training to a high level, she still coach’s gymnastics to this day. But when she started at Falkirk High School the 16-year-old found a new passion – rugby.

    Hollie got involved with the School of Rugby programme, which is supported by CashBack for Communities. Flourishing from the mental and physical benefits of the game, Hollie was appointed as a Rugby Ambassador for the programme, and she now uses this role to inspire other people in her school and local community to engage with rugby.

    The Falkirk High team captain has also played for her local team, the Kelpies and now plays with Stirling County.

    Hollie said: “I’m honoured to be part of Youth Panel. Finding rugby has changed my life and given me so many opportunities, and I want to use this new opportunity to help shape a bright future for other young people playing the sport.”

  • Josh Andrew: Ellon RFC, Caledonia North

    Josh has been a lover of sports since he was a young boy, involved in judo, badminton, football and rugby.

    Starting out at Banff RFC in 2008, Josh (18) is now playing his senior rugby with Ellon RFC.

    Josh’s passion for the game doesn’t stop at playing. Over the years he has supported local clubs including Banff and Huntly with refereeing and coaching, working with various age groups from minis through to U16.

    More recently, Josh has taken on a role to support better transition and communication between the boys U18 at Ellon team and the Senior squad at the club.

    Josh said: “Being named as a member of the Youth Panel is a huge privilege. I’m looking forward to working with the rest of the team to influence our game, and specifically support rugby in the north of Scotland.”

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