Focus turns to Brython Thunder as Edinburgh Women look to bounce back

26 Jan 2026

Edinburgh Rugby Women are already shifting their sights towards Saturday’s home clash against Brython Thunder, determined to turn the lessons from a difficult outing against Gwalia Lightning into a winning performance.

Despite a competitive opening 40 minutes at Hive Stadium that saw the team right in the mix at the break, a clinical second-half surge from the visitors resulted in a 7-43 defeat.

However, Head Coach Claire Cruikshank is adamant that the squad’s focus must remain on the immediate opportunity for redemption before the upcoming break.

The scoreline ultimately didn’t reflect the grit Edinburgh showed in the early stages. After a physical first half where the contest hung in the balance, the game got away from the hosts as Gwalia Lightning capitalised on momentum shifts.

Reflecting on the performance, Cruikshank acknowledged the players’ own frustrations with how the final 40 minutes unfolded:

“I think the players said a bit in the huddle there. It wasn’t them. We feel a bit disappointed with that. We feel maybe they let themselves down. But yeah, we were disappointed in that second half.”

With a squad blending seasoned leaders and emerging talent, Cruikshank pointed to the steep learning curve inherent in high-level competition. For many of the younger players, these high-pressure moments are essential building blocks for the future.

“I think it comes with the levels of experience we have as well,” Cruikshank explained. “Have they been in these situations before? Probably some of it’s quite new to a lot of them. So it’s big learnings and that’s how we build on these learnings into the future games. That’s the key thing.”

The beauty of the current schedule is the lack of time to dwell. Edinburgh return to Hive Stadium on Saturday afternoon for a pivotal encounter with Brython Thunder. It represents a final chance to secure a result and build momentum before a well-earned week off.

Cruikshank is eager to see how her side responds to the challenge:

“Yeah, It comes thick and fast, doesn’t it? And we’ve got one more game before we get a week off.

“So we’ve got to put all our focus and effort into that one. Ride on the disappointment and see what we can do against Brython next week. But it’s a big game for us, isn’t it? Home game. So we’re excited about it.”