Siobhan Cattigan

Siobhan Cattigan (11 April 1995 – 26 November 2021)

Club career Cattigan played for Stirling County Ladies. She began playing for the team in 2014, alongside playing for the University of Stirling. She captained the team that won the BUCS league in the 2016–17 season.

Cattigan played inside centre for her University and Stirling County, before moving into the back-row, usually in position 6 or 8, for both club rugby and for Scotland.

International career Cattigan was invited to join the Scottish Rugby pathway squad in 2017 and was included in the squad that beat Spain in an uncapped fixture in November 2017.

She made her international debut in the 2018 Women's Six Nations Championship in a match between Wales and Scotland, coming off the bench and into blindside flanker. The team lost 18–17, having fought back from being 13–0 down at the break. She was part of the team that saw an away win against Ireland in the 2018 Women's Six Nations Championship – their first away win in 12 years. She toured with the Scottish team in South Africa in 2019, winning against the South African team in Cape Town.

Cattigan was among the Scottish team selected for the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship and started in the first match against England in position 8, with skipper Rachel Malcolm and Rachel McLachlan either side of her. This decision from coach Bryan Easson, saw her replace Jade Konkel's usual position. He explained his decision "She [Cattigan] played at 8 against Spain a couple of years ago and performed extremely well. Siobhan's always pushed Jade really hard for a starting position anyway, she brings something different." Her final appearance was in a 2021 Rugby World Cup qualifying match against Spain in September 2021.

Personal life Cattigan first played rugby at the age of five for McLaren minis in her home town of Callander. She studied criminology and sociology at the University of Stirling and was following this with a masters in sports psychology.

Death Cattigan died unexpectedly on 26 November 2021. The Daily Telegraph reported that her death was unrelated to COVID-19, contrary to rumours spread on social media by anti-vaccination conspiracy theorists. Her father has said "It had got to the point where she could no longer live with the pain in her head and Siobhan succumbed to an irrational thought and impulsive action."

Honours Stirling University BUCS league: 2016–17