Women's Rugby World Cup: Scotland international Emma Wassell’s journey of loss, recovery and redemption
Ahead of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, few stories embody the spirit of the tournament - and human resilience - more than Scotland international Emma Wassell’s extraordinary comeback
Saturday 23 August 2025 13:55, UK
The road to representing your country is one fraught with stumbling blocks and setbacks.
Like all major sporting events, this year's Women's Rugby World Cup will be awash with inspiring tales of players rising above adversity to fulfil their potential on the global stage.
But before a pass has been thrown or a ball has been kicked, one remarkable story already embodies the stoicism and determination that will be on display.
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In September 2024, less than 12 months out from England welcoming the world of rugby to its shores, Scotland international Emma Wassell was given a sobering diagnosis: a benign tumour in her chest.
Measuring 27cm, the mass brought with it life-threatening complications, including internal bleeding that required two surgeries - one involving a collapsed lung and an open-chest sternotomy.
Wassell was left with a scar running down the centre of her chest and an uphill battle to reclaim not just her World Cup dreams, but her health.
"There were moments I didn't know if I'd ever play again," Wassell admitted. "But I kept reminding myself: this isn't just about rugby - it's about proving to myself that I'm stronger than what tried to break me."
Her recovery was painstaking, marked by meticulously-tracked milestones - running, contact training, match fitness - each one a triumph of perseverance.
Wassell was already grappling with the grief of suddenly losing her mother, Pauline, when she received the devastating chest tumour diagnosis.
She later revealed how the support of her team-mates and the wider rugby community not only helped her through her personal loss, but also strengthened her resolve to overcome the physical challenges that followed.
"I played the last game of the Six Nations and two days later I was speaking a eulogy at my mum's funeral," Wassell said.
"It's helped me cope so much and it's given me strength ever since, knowing I have these people and this incredible sport.
"There wasn't a moment that I went without someone by my bed… I just felt so incredibly supported by them.
"Getting through what happened with my mum - everything in comparison felt easy."
After a year out of the game, Wassell is poised for the final act of her remarkable recovery.
She made her much-anticipated return to Test action in Scotland's World Cup warm-up match against Italy.
Now named in Scotland's squad, Wassell faces pool-stage clashes with Fiji, Wales, and Canada - and perhaps more beyond - as she begins to write her World Cup redemption.
"I cannot wait for the Rugby World Cup to get under way," she said. "It was so good to play for Scotland again.
"I missed the highs of winning with the team, but I was surprised to have missed the more difficult stuff - going to the trenches with your team-mates."
