EMMA ORR has claimed the Senior Female Sports Personality award at the Clydesdale Area Sports Awards 2023.

In the domestic season, Orr was a mainstay of the Biggar Rugby Club Ladies side, running the show from stand off and using her skills and game awareness to full effect.

That all helped massively in the Biggar Ladies' success in the regional league programme when they were crowned champions, gaining promotion to the National League.

Prior to her international selection in the summer of 2022, she was a pivotal member of Biggar Ladies when on May 15 they defeated Ayr by 36-22 at Murrayfield to win the National Plate competition, contributing 11 points in the final.

Orr was initially selected as a member of the Scotland Sevens squad for the European Championship in 2021, playing in Lisbon and Russia. And her performances at that event saw her selected in 2022 as a member of the full Scotland squad for the Six Nations Championship.

She gained her first full international cap against Wales in that competition and also played against France and Ireland.

She starred again for Scotland Sevens in the Toulouse leg of the World Sevens Series in May and was then selected for the squad for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Her performances naturally led to her involvement in World Cup warm up matches against Spain and the USA.

Her inclusion and very positive play – particularly in defence where she has a model technique, matched with both power and aggression – then saw her gain a place in Scotland's World Cup squad for the tournament in New Zealand. She was the youngest player in the squad.

Unfortunately, injury ruled her out of the first match against Wales, however, she played against Australia and New Zealand.

On her return from the World Cup she quickly returned to club rugby, playing for Biggar against West in a league match.

In a bid to further her career, she now plays for Edinburgh Premiership side Heriots.

But her heart is still with Biggar Ladies, however, as her mum, dad, sister, and brothers have all played with the club.

To round the year off in style, she was rewarded for her contributions to Scotland rugby with one of 28 professional contracts.

She has now gained five full international caps. She has started four of the games and came on as a replacement in one. She also has numerous Sevens caps.

The award was presented by Kay Morrison, chief executive of South Lanarkshire Leisure & Culture, on Friday (March 10).

But that was not the only honour for the club. The Ladies XV claimed the Senior Team of the Year award and the U16 girls were runners up in the Junior Team of the Year.