HISTORY will be made at Heriot's rugby club tonight when a lady member takes her seat on the general committee for the first time since the club was formed in 1890.
The move comes just a couple of months after Preston Lodge appointed a lady president for the first time in their 79-year history – proving the widening appeal of rugby.
At Heriot's, Elizabeth Irons will accept a post with special responsibility f
or sponsorship, advertising and hospitality.
Elizabeth said: "I feel very privileged to have been co-opted on to the Heriot's committee as the first female in 118 years and hope to help re-invigorate the club.
"I was one of the first girls on the roll when Heriot's became a co-educational school and I have followed the rugby club since I was a youngster partly through accompanying my father (ex-Edinburgh Lord Provost Norman Irons) and brother to Goldenacre.
"For many years, of course, the rugby club has been open to all and I feel there is a good base to build on with a thriving mini section and input from the school teams. There is certainly plenty of ambition around and my job will be to help support the good work that is going on out on the pitch."
Meanwhile, holding the reins at Preston Lodge is Shona Brash, described by vice-president Johnston Craig as a "weel kent face" in the Prestonpans area due to her involvement and interest in local community projects.
The full article contains 255 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
