One of the first casualties of lockdown in the sporting calendar was Scotland’s final Six Nations match against Wales, but as professional rugby came back (behind closed doors) the 2020 Championship was finally completed in October, Scotland ending its campaign on a high with an away win against Wales for the first time in 18 years before going straight into the Autumn Nations Cup, which replaced the usual Autumn internationals.
In the middle of the campaign, I was lucky enough to have the chance to interview Blair Kinghorn, who plays as a full back/winger for Scotland and Edinburgh, and who took time out from his training with the Scotland squad to answer questions about lockdown, training and – of course – Scotland’s chances in the Autumn.
Was it easy to keep up motivation and training in lockdown?
It was definitely a challenge. Having no real end goal in sight was a mental battle but I’m the sort of person who doesn’t really like sitting around doing nothing. So I found myself making full use of my one exercise slot a day. Training on your own is always tougher because you’ve got no one to push you on. It’s a real test of how strong you are mentally.
Does having no fans at the games make a difference?
Having no fans is a really strange one. Fans provide you with energy and you can feed off them. So you have to be completely switched on and fully motivated because there are no external influences that can pump you up. One thing I’ve found is that I felt a little less nervous because you aren’t playing in front of 20,000 people!
Which match are you most looking forward to at the moment?
I’m just really looking forward to hopefully representing my country in the Autumn Nations Cup. I love having the honour to play for my country.
Who will be your toughest opponents this season?
All international oppositions are tough. But potentially Fiji. The individual brilliance they’ve got can be very tough to defend.
What is the mood like in the Scottish camp just now?
The mood is great. Everyone feels very excited to be back in the Scotland camp setup. It’s seven months since we were last together. Having the opportunity to finish the Six Nations on a high is exciting.
What positives have come out of lockdown for you?
Lockdown made me realise how important your friends and family are. I’ll never take any of them for granted because they are people you can rely on to help you through tough times. It was also a great time for my little niggles and injuries to get slightly better, not having to do contact for 5 months was a positive.
Who were your rugby heroes when you were growing up and who do you admire now?
Personally I didn’t really have any sporting heroes when I was growing up. I always loved watching people at the top of their game in different sports such as NFL and NBA. At the moment I love watching Lebron James and Deshaun Watson.
Blair may not have had a rugby hero when he was growing up, but a lot of young players will now be looking up to him. My thanks to him for taking the time to answer my questions. By Matthew Kerr, 3T
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