Kennedy and Nelson set for ‘amazing experience’ in Colorado with Barbarians squad
Scotland’s most capped female rugby player of all time cannot wait to be a member of the Barbarians coaching team for today’s “landmark” match.
The contest against the USA in Denver, Colorado will b e the Barbarians’ first women’s international fixture following on from a game against Munster in 2017.
D o n n a K e n n e d y w i l l b e assistant coach to New Zealand’s Anna Richards having made 115 international appearances as a player for Scotland over the years.
T h e 47- ye a r - o l d Ke n n e dy said: “This is going to be an amazing experience, a landmark occasion.
“When I was a player I was lucky enough to turn out for the Nomads select team, but to now have a female Barbarians team shows just how far the game has come in the last few years.
“Looking through the squad I see a lot of talented players from a numb er of different countries and we cannot wait to see them in action.
“We will aim to play in true Barbarians st yle and get the girls throwing the ball about in attack and it should be a great spectacle.
“I just think that the Barbarians is such an important thing to keep going to uphold the values of rugby as we enter an ever more professional age.
“Players still want to get to know players from other countries and play alongside them and this will be a great day for everyone involved.
“To b e coaching alongside Anna Richards, a legend of the game, is also amazing and it will be nice to be on the same side as her for once!”
In the Barbarians squad for this one is current S cotland player Helen Nelson.
During February and March the 24-year-old stand-off, who plays professionally in France with Montpellier, turned out for Scotland in the Six Nations.
Already during April she has captained Scotland Sevens in Hong Kong as they came within a whisker of reaching the World Series only to lose out to Brazil.
Now she is in America for an experience “she will never forget”, according to former No 8 Kennedy.
“I have watched Helen from afar and she has become one of the leaders in the Scotland team over the last couple of years,” Kennedy said.
“It will be good to get to know her better on this trip an also find out about her journey to this stage because I am sure her friends and family back home will be very proud of her.
“Her selection also shows that Scotland’s national team are recognised amongst the best in the world and although the team will have been frustrated with some of the performances they put in during the Six Nations I think there are some good players coming through.
“I think as a unit they just need to have a bit more belief to close things out when they are ahead in games or on top, but that will come and it is great to see players like Helen, Lana Skeldon, Jade Konkel and Lisa Thomson l e a d i n g f r o m t h e f r o n t a s t h e t e a m lo oks to make it to the next World Cup in 2021.”