As School Of Hard Knocks (SOHK) Scotland marks nine years of transforming young lives, we’re proud to celebrate the progress reflected in our latest impact report. Last academic year alone, SOHK supported 877 young people and partnered with 29 schools to boost confidence, connection and engagement through rugby and mentoring.

To mark our 9 year milestone, we sat down with Scotland Rugby’s Rhea Clarke - a remarkable number 9 herself - to discuss her journey in the sport and the power of charities like ours to inspire the next generation. 

You started rugby as a young girl and have been extremely successful. You had many early successes before climbing to international stages. What helped you believe that you belonged in this sport, particularly on hard days?

Initially, I started rugby because my brother and sister played, and it was easier for my parents for us to all be in one place. But I wanted to play sport because I was super competitive and found it hard to be still. Rugby was an outlet and when I was younger, I didn’t notice that I was the only girl. Rugby gave me a place to play games and to win; I loved winning. 

As I got a bit older, I started noticing that I was the only girl in my team and at times it was difficult – the boys wouldn’t pass to me, for instance. But I got to play minis with my older sister and that inspired me to keep coming back. 

Once I moved to Stirling, there was a girls-only team, which was a game changer; I fell in love with it again. Some of those girls are still my closest friends today.  

Rugby gave me a way to express myself, to focus my energy, and gave me a consistent routine. Most of all, it gave me a community that I didn’t realise I needed. 

What did it feel like to be the only girl playing when you were young?  

I was about four when I started, and I enjoyed it because of the games to begin with. As I got older and became more aware of being the only girl, I was a bit embarrassed because no other girl I knew played it, and it gave me a bit of a ‘tomboy’ reputation. But I kept going because I was good at it, and the support of the other parents, the coaches and my own parents also really helped. I’m grateful that my parents kept pushing me to go. 

Tell me about school when you were that age.  

I was home-educated at first, so those primary school years – when you can pick up on social cues and what you’re ‘meant’ to be doing – I was given the freedom to really choose what I was interested in.  

Once I was in secondary school, certain people found it very unusual that I played rugby. They made jokes, saying things like I could beat up the boys and things like that, which I would shrug off. I think secondary school is when a lot of people give up on things, especially sports, because it can get in the way of socialising. You have to be dedicated. 

Luckily, my closest friends were so supportive and would watch my matches. And I started making friends with the other girls who played rugby, so I didn’t mind what others were saying because I had my community and valued their opinions more. 

Young women face so many stereotypes, especially in sport. What’s a message you would give to a young girl in that position? 

The beauty of rugby is that every single person’s body is built for it – everyone has a place and can add something. Everyone can be celebrated. All my friends are completely different sizes and shapes, but they all have their unique thing.  

I would love to see more girls be more confident in themselves and realise what they can bring to the table. To be grateful for what your body allows you to do.  

You said you moved to Stirling and that’s when you started to feel a sense of belonging. How old were you at the time and what made you feel that belonging? 

I was about ten or eleven, and everyone was so different but we were all kindred spirits. We had the best time. We’d do everything together – go to the gym, play and train together, go on bus journeys and have sleepovers. I’d never had friends like that before. Everyone felt like they fit in – we all fit together. We saw each other through our best and worst moments, and so many of us are good friends to this day.  

Top-level rugby can be a tough roller coaster, but when you’ve got people who have seen how hard you’ve worked and who appreciate you, they help give you perspective and keep you motivated when things get tough. 

Most people start our programme around the age of eleven and go until sixteen, an age range rife with pressure. What has playing rugby taught you about dealing with pressure and setbacks?  

It’s such a pivotal time for young people, especially today with social media. And typically, I’m not great at dealing with pressure – it's something I struggled with growing up. But no matter what went wrong, you would go back to training, and it was back to basics, to routine and to security. I’d put my phone away and I would focus, because I needed to.  

Within rugby as well, you’re part of a community who have similar pressures and stresses, and training was a place you could be surrounded by that support.  

This year has been interesting because it’s my first major injury, on my ankle, and it’s taught me how much I rely on my teammates. They pick me up, take me places, help out with physical things, and make me feel better when I’ve had a tough day. It's a support system and it's so important. 

You sound like you had a lot going on as a young person – family, social life, school, and rugby. How did you fit all of it in? You must have been quite disciplined. 

Sometimes I look back and don’t know how I did it, because I was part of other clubs too and had friends I wanted to hang out with. So, I made sure I was as organised as I could be so I could do it all. I would do my homework in the car, for instance. If I had exams coming up, I made sure to study during the day so I could have fun in the evening. I knew I just needed to crack on with it.  

And by the time I got to my senior exams, I knew I wanted to go to Edinburgh University to play rugby. Knowing what I wanted gave me direction and motivation. I was quite good in school, but I was strategic about what I studied, picking subjects I knew suited my personality and skills so I could get the best grades possible. 

I was also fortunate to have support from my family and having a good support system makes your life 100 times easier, regardless of if you’re playing rugby or not.  

Were there any coaches or teachers that stood out when it came to support?  

At school, we didn’t have any girl’s rugby but the PE department were so kind and supportive of me, helping me develop when I needed to. 

And the mini coaches at Dunfermline RFC were sweet and encouraging; they made me feel special. Mark Craske, Nick Matheson, and Niall Young – they were vital in my rugby journey. 

Then once I moved to Stirling, people like Donna Patterson and Al Wilson were incredible. Donna started the whole girl’s section there – what began as just 3 girls has now grown to over 40 in the team. It’s incredible, and it all came from her. And all the coaches at Stirling put in so much effort, making sure us girls got everything the boys had.

We’re celebrating 9 years in Scotland, working with young people to unlock their potential, and we strongly believe that rugby gives you those skills. If you could shape the next nine years for young people growing up in Scotland, what would you love to see changed – on or off the pitch? 

In schools, I’d love to see some diversity in what they teach, leaning away from the academic side and teaching more life skills. People don’t learn how to look after themselves properly, to regulate their emotions, for instance. Giving people the opportunity to grow as a person is massive, and I think sport gives people that. 

A huge thank you to Rhea for taking the time to speak with us and we wish her all the luck with her ongoing rugby journey. See you on the pitch, Rhea!