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Eilidh Walker Memorial Cup
On 3rd May 2024, we lost our coach and friend, Eilidh Walker — a moment that changed everything.
Her passion for rugby — especially championing women and girls across the Borders — shaped our team and our wider community. In the wake of her loss, we knew we had to do something that would not only honour her memory but carry her vision forward.
On 25th August, the inaugural Eilidh Walker Memorial Cup match was held at Kelso Rugby Club — a day filled with connection, compassion, and fierce camaraderie. Kelso Ladies lifted the cup with a 43–0 win over the Galashiels Vixens/Berwick Black Diamonds, and we couldn’t have shared it with a more generous, wholehearted opposition.
The day was bigger than rugby. The raffle saw prizes donated from across the Borders — from beauty treatments and fitness memberships to tablets, golf lessons and local vouchers — every item reflecting the strength of the community behind us.
Now, we look ahead.
On 9th August 2025, the Eilidh Walker Memorial Cup returns — this time hosted by Gala RFC.
A new setting, but the same unshakable spirit. Because resilience is continuing through heartbreak. It's growing together. And it’s believing, as Eilidh did, that there’s room for every woman in this game.
Join us. Support us. Stand with us — and help keep her legacy moving forward.
Eilidh Walker - our coach
A familiar sight at the side of the pitch.
Before every match, Eilidh would quietly set up the changing room — water bottles lined up, Haribo ready, everything in place. Then she’d be pitchside, watching with full focus, shouting encouragement (and the occasional bit of direction) as we made our way through the game.
She believed fiercely in every one of us — in our ability, in our resilience, in our potential. On the tough days, that belief lifted us. It reminded us that we weren’t just players; we were a team worth backing.
Eilidh didn’t just coach rugby. She nurtured a vision: that women’s rugby could be a thriving, welcoming community — a place where every woman had a role, a team, and a home.
Eilidh had a vision — not just for Kelso Ladies, but for girls’ rugby across the region.
She imagined a pathway where every girl, from age 12 up, could find her place on the pitch. A clear, supported progression that meant no player would ever feel they had to stop or didn’t belong.
Though she never got to see it realised, that vision came to life on 17th July at Kelso Rugby Club, when Borders Girls’ Rugby held its first training session. Jacqui Stone, SRU East Region Manager, was there to support the launch, alongside the incredible Lana Skeldon, who not only led drills but got stuck in with the girls as they began their journey.
Since that day, the programme has flourished — the U16s winning Team of the Year in 2025 at the Melrose Sevens Celebration of Women in Sport, showing that something truly special has been formed in their very first season. Their trust in each other, their growth as a unit, and their drive to succeed is exactly what Eilidh would have hoped for.
Legacy - So, where do we go from here?
As simple as it sounds — we carry on. We carry on training, because although we’ve lost our coach, we’ve not lost our way.
Now more than ever, it’s important to grow and strengthen our team. We will always welcome any woman who wants to train with us, because like Eilidh, we believe there’s a place for you here.
Grief doesn’t last forever — but love, legacy, and purpose endure. We’ll never ‘get over’ the loss of Eilidh, but from that loss, something powerful is taking root. A renewed energy, infectious enthusiasm, and growing camaraderie is beginning to build within our squad.
And if we can extend that spirit to the wider Borders community — to every woman and girl with a spark of interest in rugby — then we’re not just remembering Eilidh. We’re realising her vision.
Not just in her memory, but in action. In connection. In truth.