30 May 2011

Dundee student receives top rugby award

University of Dundee student Kirstin Daly has been awarded one of the top prizes in Scottish rugby just three years after picking up the oval ball for the first time.

Kirstin (21), originally from Ayrshire, received the Women’s Premier 1 Player of the Season trophy, beating off competition from the country’s top players to land the prestigious award.

The 4th-year Dental student only took up rugby in 2008 but proved a natural Inside Centre and quickly became a fixture in the Dundee University Women’s Rugby Football Club (DUWRFC) side.

She has received many Player of the Match nominations, represented the Scottish Universities sevens team at last year’s Home Nations tournament, and was invited to train with the full Scotland side as part of a select development group.

Former Scotland scrum-half Andy Nicol presented the award to Kirstin during a ceremony held at Murrayfield Stadium’s President’s Suite. Kirstin said she felt honoured to receive the award, especially as she had been nominated for it by opposition players in the league.

'I was quite surprised to receive the award as I expected that it would go to a player in one of the other much more established teams we play against, not a University side,' she said. 'I’m very pleased for the whole side as the fact the other teams nominated someone from DUWRFC for the award shows our growing stature at this level.

'I only took up the game in my second year at university, having never played before, so I think this shows the great commitment of the whole team and coaches. Those training sessions on cold Dundee nights have paid off and I hope this shows that the University offers great opportunities not only to learn new sports but also to excel at them.'

Kirstin is a key member of the University women’s rugby team that plays in Premier 1 - the top division in Scotland - and that has produced a remarkable four Scottish international players in the past five years.

The club have consistently finished in the top two places of the Scottish Universities Tier 1 in the past four years, and won the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Trophy two years ago.

Congratulating all award winners, Scottish Rugby President Ian McLauchlan, said, 'Tonight was a mark of the achievements of our clubs, their successes and to recognise the individuals who have excelled throughout the season in both the men’s and the women’s game.'

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
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