This week sees ceremonies being held to celebrate this years’ cohort of students that are graduating from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC).

As well as graduating HN and degree students, SRUC will be celebrating the success of research degree students who have received awards this academic year.

Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) was established in 2012 through the merger of the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) with Barony, Elmwood and Oatridge Colleges.

A morning ceremony will celebrate the achievements of HNC and HND students from the North, Central and South and West faculties, followed by a ceremony for degree and postgraduate degree students.

READ MORE | Scotland's Rural College prize list 2024

READ MORE | SRUC 2024 graduates: complete degree listings

One of these graduates is Emma Orr, who is celebrating the completion of her BSc in Agriculture in Edinburgh. She has managed to complete her studies while also starring for Scotland’s Women’s Rugby team.

Emma said: “Unfortunately I didn’t have the grades to become a vet, but I’m glad it’s worked out the way it has, that I ended up at SRUC. I’ve absolutely loved it and made friends for life here. My rugby commitments kind of took over and SRUC allowed me to do both at the same time, which was brilliant.”

Emma Orr grew up on a farm near Biggar, with a host of brothers and sisters who all shared one thing in common with her, a passion for rugby. Every evening, any chance they got, they were out in the mud and having fun.

In high school, her love for the sport began to take on a new dimension. She spent so much time playing that it began to have an impact on her studies, which led to a few run-ins with her teachers. She felt that rugby and school weren’t mutually compatible, she could have one but never both.

It was when she left to study Agriculture at SRUC that things began to change however. She kept playing rugby, but as her ability improved, so too did her commitments.

Beginning with Biggar RFC, she started playing competitively at progressively higher levels. It wasn’t long before Emma was representing Scotland women’s rugby on the world stage.

“It was in my second year when I was selected to go to the World Cup in New Zealand” said the 21 year-old, “so that was obviously massive to be honest. Before that, in the Six Nations I got my first cap.

“It was just an incredible opportunity, I’d never been to New Zealand or thought I’d ever get to go there, and I was relatively young too. It was a massive confidence builder for me, and the women’s rugby in New Zealand was an inspiration.”

As she became more and more successful, so too came new responsibilities. Training sessions, matches, away days, her time commitments kept ramping up, all very difficult to balance with a full-time undergraduate degree.

She kept waiting for the penny to drop, she could have the degree, or rugby, but not both. It surely had to be a dealbreaker, she waited for the moment it would all come crashing down, but that never came. Instead, she found her lecturers were her biggest supporters,

“SRUC allowed me to attend training camps and everything really. I got all of the time I needed and more” she said.

“I really want to thank my lecturer because I remember doing a Teams call with him in first year, very overwhelmed and thinking I’m not going to be able to do this, let alone make it to the third year. He helped me sort out extensions and liaise with a lot of my lecturers

“Essentially if it wasn’t for him I probably wouldn’t have lasted until now”.

Once Emma was offered a position on the Scottish national women’s team, something had to change however. She took the difficult decision this year to leave her studies behind, in order to focus fully on her professional rugby career.

It’s a choice which has paid off, she has already signed a contract to play for the Bristol Bears, and she is still graduating with a degree. Despite her many accomplishments on the field, there’s one she values above all the rest,

“Probably my greatest achievement to date is eventually graduating with a BSc in agriculture alongside being a professional athlete.” she said.

And although she has made the big time in rugby, she still hasn’t forgotten her roots on her parents’ farm,

“I’m excited and a little scared about moving, but I still want to be involved in agriculture somehow.” she said. “It’s something I really enjoy, I want to stay connected to the industry. I’m glad I took the course with SRUC, it was one of the best things I’ve ever done. It’s been so supportive, just the best.”