Find out more about the former skier turned rugby star
Who is Helen Nelson: Ten things you should know about the Scotland back
Comfortable at centre and fly-half, and in 15s or sevens, Helen Nelson is a versatile player for Scotland.
Ten things you should know about Helen Nelson
1. Helen Nelson was born on 24 May 1994. She stands at 5ft 9in (1.74m) and weighs 12st 1lb (77kg).
2. She plays for Allianz Premier 15s club Loughborough Lightning but she previously turned out for Montpellier and Murrayfield Wanderers.
3. Nelson won her first cap for Scotland in 2016 against France and she also represents her country in sevens.
4. Her aunt, Clare Hoppe, played for Ireland in the first fixture against Scotland in 1993.
5. Nelson was a part of the squad that defeated Ireland in the 2021 European qualifiers for the Rugby World Cup, which saw the team progress to the final qualifying event for the tournament.
6. Her parents are ski instructors and she was part of the Scottish Alpine Ski Team form 2009 to 2012.
7. Nelson lives with Loughborough Lightning team-mate and England player Helena Rowland, and the pair played against each other in the 2021 Six Nations.
8. She captained Scotland for their 2021 Six Nations match against Wales, which the team won. She said: “We’ve worked so hard this year that we absolutely deserved a win, so I’m just absolutely chuffed to bits for the girls.
“That performance wasn’t perfect, but we’re happy with it. I think we defended a lot better, and then gave ourselves front-foot ball to go and play.”
9. She studied geophysics and meteorology at Edinburgh University.
10. In November 2021, Nelson’s Scotland team-mate Siobhan Cattigan passed away. Nelson told the BBC: “We don’t want her to be forgotten.
“She’d been such a huge part of this journey and this team for a long time, so it’s about remembering her and making sure she’s recognised for getting us to this point. We’re carrying her with us all the time and, if we make it to New Zealand (for the World Cup), she’ll be with us there.”
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