Former Scotland international Rhona Hume is confident that the Women’s Premiership - which kicks off its 30th-anniversary season today [Saturday] - is steadily increasing in quality. The outgoing director of women’s rugby at Heriot’s, as well as assistant coach of Heriot’s Blues Women, Hume has been involved in the domestic game since the second season of the national league, and believes there has been a “night and day” improvement since then.

“When I started in 1994 it was very basic,” she said yesterday. “I remember the strips were hand-me-downs from men’s teams - always far too big, always one of those old heavyweight ones. They were horrible to play in. We had very little, but we had a couple of dedicated coaches at the club, and with the national team too, and they were amazing. 

“These days there’s a lot more support. Coaching, medical support, playing standards: everything has improved massively.  I’ve been really impressed with the standard in the past couple of seasons. I think it is on an upward trajectory. I hope this season is the same again.”

Hume’s own club are at home to Stirling County this afternoon in the first round of a Premiership programme which will see the eight teams play almost every Saturday until early December. Cup competitions, district fixtures and of course the Six Nations Championship for the elite players will follow in the New Year, but she is concerned about the lack of a domestic structure in the latter half of the campaign.

“It feels like we’ve got the first half of the season sorted and the league really is showing promise,” she added. “But I worry about the big gap in the second half of the season.”