1) Biography
Rhona Lloyd was born on 17 October 1996 in Edinburgh, Scotland, and has built her reputation as a lightning-fast winger with a sharp eye for the try line.
Standing 174 cm tall and weighing 67 kg, Lloyd brings serious speed to the Scottish attack. In fact, pace has always been part of her sporting DNA — outside rugby, she ranked inside the UK’s top 100 in the 60-metre sprint.
Her journey into rugby started later than many international players. Lloyd was 16 when Scotland international Sarah Quick visited her school in Edinburgh to run a rugby taster session. Inspired to give the sport a go, she started playing at Tynecastle High School as the only girl in her school playing rugby.
From there, she worked her way through the age grades and rapidly developed into an international winger.
Lloyd made her senior Scotland debut in 2016 and had already collected 25 international caps before the age of 23. Since then, her rugby adventure has taken her through the Women’s Six Nations, club rugby in England and France, international sevens with Great Britain, and the Rugby World Cup stage.
A sprinter, a scientist, a podcaster and a prolific finisher — Rhona Lloyd’s story goes well beyond the touchline.
2) List of Teams Played For
- Tynecastle High School (from age 16)
- Murrayfield Wanderers U18
- Edinburgh University Women’s Team
- Scotland Women U19 (2013/14)
- Scotland Women U20 (2013/14)
- Scotland (2016–Present)
- Loughborough Lightning (2018–2021)
- Stade Bordelais (2021–2025)
- Great Britain 7s (2023)
- Sale Sharks (2025–Present)
3) Rugby World Cups Played
Rhona Lloyd was selected in the Scotland squad for the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
The year of the tournament is not explicitly stated in the provided career section, although the selection is mentioned alongside her 2025 international career information.
4) Key Career Moments
Lloyd’s rugby story began at Tynecastle High School when she was 16. After Scotland international Sarah Quick introduced the sport through a school taster session, Lloyd threw herself into rugby and began climbing through the age-grade system.
Leadership arrived early. She captained Murrayfield Wanderers U18 to victory in the Brewin Dolphin Cup, an important moment in her development.
During the 2013/14 season, Lloyd represented Scotland Women at U19 and U20 level in rugby sevens.
Her senior international breakthrough came in the opening match of the 2016 Women’s Six Nations, when she made her Scotland debut against England at Broadwood Stadium.
Later that championship, Lloyd scored her first international try against Ireland in Dublin. Her second Scotland try followed in November 2016 during a Rugby World Cup qualifier against Spain in Madrid.
She continued to make her mark in the 2017 Women’s Six Nations, scoring a second-half try as Scotland edged Wales 15–14.
A shoulder injury disrupted her progress in 2018, but Lloyd fought her way back into the starting line-up for the 2019 Women’s Six Nations Championship.
That same year, she travelled on Scotland’s tour of South Africa. It was the team’s first time playing in the Southern Hemisphere, and Scotland won two matches during the tour.
At club level, Lloyd developed a reputation as a devastating finisher with Loughborough Lightning. In November 2019, the Daily Telegraph described her as a “try-scoring sensation” after she crossed for 10 tries in only six Tyrrells Premier 15s league appearances.
She also enjoyed success in university rugby. While studying at the University of Edinburgh, Lloyd played for the women’s team and won the BUCS final at Twickenham in her final year.
Lloyd featured in the 2020 Women’s Six Nations Championship, a tournament disrupted by COVID-19, and returned for the 2021 Women’s Six Nations alongside Loughborough Lightning teammates Rachel Malcolm, Leah Bartlett, Jenny Maxwell and Helen Nelson.
Her career later took her to France with Stade Bordelais, where she played from 2021 until 2025.
In 2023, Lloyd represented Great Britain 7s and celebrated a major international achievement at the European Games in Kraków–Małopolska, winning gold in the women’s rugby sevens team competition.
She was selected in Scotland’s squad for the 2025 Six Nations Championship and was also chosen for the Scottish Women’s Rugby World Cup squad.
Ahead of the 2025–26 Premiership Women’s Rugby season, Lloyd returned to English club rugby, signing for Sale Sharks from Stade Bordelais.
5) Personal Life
Away from rugby, Rhona Lloyd has combined elite sport with an impressive academic and professional journey.
She studied biomedical sciences at the University of Edinburgh before completing a Master’s degree at Loughborough University. At the same time, she undertook an analyst internship with British Athletics.
Athletics has also played a major role in her sporting background. Lloyd was ranked inside the UK’s top 100 in the 60-metre sprint — a stat that certainly helps explain her explosive pace on the wing.
She also co-hosts the “Women Who Sport” podcast with her Loughborough and Scotland teammate Sarah Bonar.
Lloyd has spoken openly about body image and the challenges faced by female athletes. She has highlighted the importance of embracing strength and wants to become the kind of role model she felt she did not have growing up.
For Lloyd, being strong is something to celebrate — both on the rugby pitch and away from it.