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Lana Skeldon: Photography, golf and switching off ahead of World Cup
By Gary Heatly
It seems like a lifetime ago that everyone was taking up new hobbies during the pandemic, and at that time Scotland player Lana Skeldon was no different, with the hooker becoming a dab hand at baking.
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Back in those days she would often take sweet treats into national camp for her team mates to try out, but fast forward a few years and it is golf and photography that are capturing Skeldon’s imagination off the pitch.
During the extended Scotland training squad’s recent 10 days or so of downtime, the Bristol Bears hooker could be found at the driving range or out in nature taking photos.
Having been around the game a long time, the 31-year-old understands now more than ever the need to switch off when you can, especially with Scotland facing up to a very busy period.
Off the back of five weeks of training in Edinburgh and then the downtime, they are currently getting ready for Friday evening’s Summer Test in Viadana against Italy.
It will be followed by a match versus Ireland in Cork on August 2nd before the 38-strong squad is brought down to 32 for the Women’s Rugby World Cup where they open against Wales on August 23rd in Manchester.
“We are heading into a really busy and exciting time so it is important that everyone also has their things away from rugby that interest them and help them switch off,” Skeldon said.
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“For example, right now I love golf even though I’m terrible at it! Down in Bristol me and Amber Reed go golfing a fair bit, she’s a lot better than me, but it is really good fun.
“I love it and when I go to the driving range or get out on the course I’m not thinking how terrible I am at golf, in fact I am not thinking about anything at all, and it’s a hobby that helps me really switch off.
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“I think it’s really important to have those things, especially in these sort of intense periods that we’re going through just now.”
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So, does Skeldon have a golf handicap?
“No, don’t be silly, I’m lucky if I can even putt that ball into the hole,” she laughs.
“I can get to the green in like three shots and that’s not too bad, but then I get to the putting and suddenly it can be eight shots later and we’re still going, it’s quite frustrating!
“People have said that putting is like lineout throwing, the more you practice the better you become.
“That might be true, but putting is so annoying. Maybe I don’t actually know how to putt properly, I think that’s the problem, whereas I actually know how to throw at a lineout – or should know!”
Another string to Skeldon’s bow recently has become photography. Around camp and when she is not involved in a drill at training she can often be found taking snaps of her team mates while dogs and the picturesque surroundings of the Scottish Borders and Bristol are among her other favourite subjects.
“I’m still learning but I think I’m definitely getting better,” she said. “I actually really enjoy it, for example if I’m having a tough day at training or whatever, I’ll just get my camera out and zone out behind it.
“I don’t know how to describe it, I can’t hear anything and I am really concentrating and after I have taken a few photos I feel so much better afterwards. I enjoy getting pictures for other people so they can keep the memories.”
Talking of memories Skeldon – who is now fourth in Scotland’s all-time women’s cap list with 79 behind retired players Karen Findlay (86 caps), Heather Lockhart (89 caps) and Donna Kennedy (115 caps) – is hoping to make new ones over the next couple of months.
It has not been the smoothest of run ups to the World Cup for the Scots with respected coaches Fraser Brown and Matt Banahan leaving the coaching panel, players speaking out publicly about non-selection and then, just last Friday, head coach Bryan Easson announcing he will be standing down post-event.
However, their last outing was a hard-fought win over Ireland at the end of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations and Skeldon feels the squad is as together as ever have been heading into this busy spell.
“We are known as being one of the tightest teams and I do believe that we still are,” the player first capped in 2011 explained.
“It just feels like we’re always really connected and tight, which is cool. We have experienced players and newer faces mixing together and I feel the build up to what is to come has been going well and we just want to play games now.
“And, personally, all of my focus is on the Summer Tests and then making it to the World Cup – we have an exciting time coming up.”