Fiona Cooper joins Trailfinders Women

Trailfinders Women are delighted to announce the signing of flanker Fiona Cooper ahead of our first season in the Premier 15s.

Fiona joins the club with a wealth of experience across a variety of different rugby cultures for a player who is just 26 years of age, including playing in Scotland, England, New Zealand and America.

Despite now being at the top of her game, Fiona didn’t take up rugby until she was 16 years old, when she attended a taster session for girls at her local club, Howe of Fife, back in Scotland.

She took to it like a duck to water, and within two years was at a Scotland U18s training camp. From there she advanced to St Andrews, playing for both the university and Howe of Fife Seniors and earned a call up to the Scotland U20s squad.

While she was completing her International Relations undergrad, she had the opportunity to go on a year abroad and study at the University of Auckland, one that she grabbed with both hands!

While she was over in Auckland she played at Ponsonby Rugby Club, who had six Black Ferns in their pack at the time as she went on a self confessed “steep learning curve” about what she needed to do to play in the forwards, but it was one that she said “helped massively.”

When she returned back home, she completed her studies and gained a place on the Scottish pathways programme during her final year at St Andrews.

After graduating, she then moved to Emory University in Atlanta for a master’s degree and while she was there joined up with the Atlanta Harlequins for two years.

As lockdown hit she returned to Scotland, and begun training with Corstorphine Cougars in the Tennent’s Premiership as restrictions begun to be lifted.

After proving herself back in Scotland, at the start of this season she decided to test herself in the Premier 15s and moved down to Wasps. During her time for the London club she made 18 appearances, with only one coming from the bench, and her superb form earned her a call-up to the Scotland training squad ahead of this year’s Women’s TikTok Six Nations.

Away from the rugby pitch, Fiona is currently a Knowledge Manager at Laureus Sport for Good, an international charity using sport to combat violence, discrimination and disadvantage around the world.

On signing for Trailfinders, Fiona said: I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Trailfinders next season! Joining a new team in the Premier 15s provides exciting opportunities to be a foundational part of the club’s future in the women’s game and their commitment and investment means it’s sure to be a dynamic environment.

“I’m particularly excited to be joining some coaches from Wasps who have supported me to achieve really wonderful things despite a challenging year and new coaches who I’m sure will push me on to the next level of my rugby.

“Trailfinders also does some really wonderful work in the community which is very close to my heart and a perfect place to make my new home.”

Director of Women’s Rugby Giselle Mather said: “Fiona has a lot of varied rugby experiences under her belt and bringing that knowledge of working in different rugby environments across the world will be invaluable as we form our new squad into a competitive team.

“She is a fiercely competitive player who trains hard and who is keen now to begin to make an impact on the international stage and I feel all at Trailfinders are ready to help her achieve that.”