The try scored by Ilona Maher in Bristol Bears’ 41-31 PWR win at Exeter Chiefs last weekend was most talked about, but it also brought about one of the biggest laughs of the day. It was a try scored by Meg Varley.
The 25-year-old, who played as a center in that game but was often used on the wing, had had a difficult 11 months due to injuries and a well-worked five-pointer meant she was back in the big game again.
Former Worcester player Varley’s highs and lows at the highest level of sport were summed up over a week in February last year.
On Monday 19 February, the former England Under-20 international was called up to the full Scotland squad for the first time in the build-up to the Six Nations. Her choice comes from good club form and being born and raised in Edinburgh.
It was a high, but a low came the following Friday when he suffered a serious foot injury as Bristol defeated Loughborough Lightning 33-17 in a league match.
“It was two days before I was due to fly north and meet the Scotland squad for the first time. About 10 minutes into the game against Loughborough I ruptured a ligament in my foot and things changed very quickly,” Varley recalls. .
“Immediately I couldn’t walk and I thought, ‘There’s something seriously wrong here.’ Then I had a scan, and the scan again showed that it was a very serious injury that required surgery.
“At the time, I was like, ‘That’s it,’ and I started focusing on the recovery process. But one time I was watching the Six Nations on TV and then sitting in the stands watching Bristol play in the PWR semi-finals. In the weeks and months after the finals, I was feeling a little depressed because I wanted to go to the big game.
“But injuries happen often in sport and I worked hard with the medical team in Bristol to get back into shape.”
The surgery took place two weeks after the injury, and for the next two weeks Varley was unable to put any weight on his foot. “I crawled on all fours to get anywhere in the house.”
Partial weight bearing, full weight bearing in the boot, and then out of the boot followed over the next few months.
Varley had quite a bit of metal on her feet to get used to as she returned to running and reaching top speeds in the summer during pre-season ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
“Normally the surgery I had would just involve screwing a metal plate into the top of my foot, but because I had so much movement I had to insert two more screws into the side of my foot, which limited my movement.” Bali explained.
“After a good summer I was able to play again for the agreed 40 minutes in the PWR Up game against Gloucester (a 31-21 win in September) and I am ready to build from there.
“But I pulled a hamstring on the same leg I was recovering from in training and when the medic looked at it, they checked my foot again and felt my run wasn’t going as well as it should have.
“As a result, a re-scan of my foot revealed that one of the screws had broken, so I booked in further surgery and had the whole part drilled out of my foot. Now all that’s left is the fake ligaments they put in and half a screw.
“Obviously at the same time as all that was going on, my hamstring injury wasn’t improving so when I started running again it took me quite a while to get back to full speed and then suddenly it was past Christmas time. .”
Varley’s name recently appeared on the PWR matchday squad list for the first time in almost 11 months when he came off the bench in the 41-17 defeat against Gloucester-Hartpury on January 5 at Ashton Gate.
And she started at 13 in last Sunday’s bonus point win over Exeter at Sandy Park, scoring a quick try in the 44th minute after receiving a neat offload from new winger Ilona Maher.
“It felt so good to try and help the team get a win. Now I just want to continue to build from here in the final few weeks of the campaign.” The play-off places have been revealed ahead of Varley’s round 14 clash with Leicester Tigers at Ashton Gate on Saturday, with the Bristol side just three points behind PWR.
“I think we still have a lot of catching up to do to keep up with the girls. But the Exeter game definitely gave me confidence and I don’t want to think about my feet anymore. “Focus on the run-in, save time and help the team.”
And with the Six Nations starting on March 22 and the Rugby World Cup taking place in England later this year, has the uncapped speedster ever thought about a Scotland recall?
“It would be great if things go well and I get the chance to reconnect with Scotland, but for now it’s just about making sure I’m healthy and whatever happens will happen,” she said.
“I know the Scottish coaches are here watching us play and it was great to be part of the conversation last year, but we had a problem with our feet so now we have to take it one game at a time.”
Varley’s latest comeback coincides with international superstar Maher joining Bristol and she loved having the American in the dressing room.
She said of her colleague: “Ilona came in and settled in right away. She’s a really lovely person and she’s here to work on the rugby pitch more than anything else.
“She brings a lot of energy and will be a great addition to the team.
“Obviously the media attention and fan attention she brings is a bit different, but we want to embrace that because the more eyes on women’s rugby, especially in such a big and important year, the better. sports.”
