Edinburgh’s Rachel Watton has been named in the Scottish team competing in next month’s European Team Championships in Finland (7-11 July).

The Mortonhall player, who turned 17 this week, said:  “It was a pretty good birthday present. The SLGA choose four girls for the team and I hoped I had done enough to get in. But it was still a nice surprise to find out yesterday.

“I was chosen for the second Scottish under-16 team last year but this will be my first big event and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Rachel is coached by Spencer Henderson in St Andrews and supported by the East of Scotland Institute of Sport since the start of this year.

The Area Institutes of Sport network provides high performance expertise to Scotland’s potential world class talent. Its expert teams work together to deliver essential support services locally in sports medicine, sports science, strength and conditioning, and career and lifestyle guidance.

“The East of Scotland Institute organise strength and conditioning training and give me treatment for stuff I would never have known about before,” she said. “It makes a difference, especially the physio because you can’t perform to your best if you have niggles or tight muscles.”

Rachel admits the competition is tough amongst her peers in Scotland but her season so far has produced some good results.

“There’s a lot of us at around the same level.” she said.  “This season I was eighth qualifier in the Scottish Ladies, then I had to pull out because of exams.

“I got to the semis finals of the County Championships and last weekend I was joint third in the Scottish Schools.”