Aila Ronald: 'I just want to do my job as well as I can'

Since she was seven, Aila Ronald has dreamed of playing rugby for Scotland and since the summer of 2024 that dream has become ever so close to becoming a reality, but has tantalising remained out of reach to date.

Nevertheless, with the 2026 Guinness Women’s Six Nations now suddenly just a few months away, the dream burns as brightly as ever for the up-and-coming talent with Ronald saying a cap is what she wants more than anything.

Two years ago, hooker Ronald was one of Scotland’s standout players at the Under-20 Six Nations Women’s Summer Series in Italy.

That led to then Scotland head coach Bryan Easson calling her up for the first time to train with the full national side and then she was selected to travel with the squad to the WXV 2 tournament in South Africa soon after.

Since then, she has been involved with the wider squad regularly, but with the likes of 84-cap Lana Skeldon and 26-cap Elis Martin ahead of her in the queue for the number two and number 16 jerseys she has yet to make a matchday squad and yet to make that dream debut.

As part of that process, missing out on the Women’s Rugby World Cup squad last summer was especially hard to take. But, still just 21, Ronald has bounced back from that blow admirably and has been performing well for Edinburgh University in BUCS Super Rugby and Edinburgh Rugby in the Celtic Challenge during this campaign so far.

And with Premiership Women’s Rugby in England and Elite 1 top flight in France taking a break during January, being involved in the Celtic Challenge right now is a big boost for players looking to impress new Scotland head coach Sione Fukofuka and senior assistant coach Ioan Cunningham as they settle into their new environment.

“My dream since I was seven was to play for Scotland and my dream is still to play for Scotland, that’s what I want more than anything,” Ronald told RugbyPass.

“Hopefully that’ll happen at some point, I just have to keep working hard and keep playing well for Edinburgh whenever I get the opportunity in the coming weeks.

“I’m constantly working on just being a better hooker, really, I just want to do my job as well as I can.

“I have picked up things and learnt things in all of the different environments I have been in over the last couple of years and since the summer I have been trying to add things to my game.

“I really enjoy playing in BUCS Super Rugby because it gives me a little bit more freedom than just being a hooker who does the basics well and I can get my hands on the ball a bit more in those games.

I do love that, but the bottom line for me has to be doing my job right and hooking and throwing and getting those things right are key to that. That’s what I’ve been sort of going after and practice makes perfect when it comes to throwing especially, there is no secret formula.”

Hookers, like kickers, are well known for doing ‘extras’ over and above their normal training to try and nail the basics down. In recent weeks Ronald, who is a Scottish Rugby supported player for 2025/26, has been working closely with Jerry Blyth-Lafferty.

The latter is also 21 and is part of the Edinburgh Rugby men’s pro academy and made his first team debut in the URC recently.

“Working with Jerry has been really good for us both,” Ronald explained.

“He’s in a similar boat to me in that he’s a young player coming through and he’s also trying to nail down hi throw and become consistent with it. He’s obviously had a little bit more coaching than I have over the years so he has been coaching me, but we have also been helping each other out and that has been refreshing and interesting.

“It is just about trying to get as many reps in as you can and I always feel more confident when I’ve had more tailored training sessions and they’re going well – it’s kind of a momentum thing and you take confidence into games from that.”

Talking of games and Ronald and Edinburgh have so far lost one and won one in the Celtic Challenge which started in December and runs until March.

In round one they lost out 34-7 to two-time reigning champions Wolfhounds in Dublin before coming from behind to defeat Glasgow Warriors at home at Hive Stadium 31-25 in round two.

Next up for Edinburgh is a rematch with the Wolfhounds from Ireland at the Hive on Saturday and Ronald, who is in her third year at Edinburgh University studying psychology, stated: “We are looking forward to the game as I think we are building things up nicely.

“I think our start was good over in Dublin last time against the Wolfhounds and although it wasn’t a win, I don’t think the score reflected the game and the type of rugby we were looking to play.

“We were a bit more accurate against Glasgow and what was most pleasing about that win was that we managed to wrestle back momentum after they started well. In the past we have struggled to do that, but, when we are on top, we know we can be a match for anyone in this competition.

“We’re hoping to build on the Glasgow showing again this weekend and are excited to challenge ourselves against the Wolfhounds again. The learnings from the last game against them are fresh and we can take them straight into the rematch.”