Poignant moment for RAF and Harlequins' Orla Proctor

Harlequins full-back and serving member of the RAF Orla Proctor has spent the best part of two months chomping at the bit to get playing again.

A non-commissioned member of the RAF police, her unit spent seven weeks serving a sports ban, trying to ensure nobody picked up any untimely injuries with members of the unit liable to be called into action at short notice.

For Proctor, that meant stepping away from Harlequins at the start of the Premiership Women’s Rugby season, but she has now been able to re-join the squad.

She explained: “I’ve just been back into rugby as of two weeks ago. With current affairs in the world at the moment, my unit was not allowed to do sport at any time in case of injury. Now it’s back to normal, there’s a different readiness. It was about seven weeks in all so when they gave me the green light two weeks ago, I was so happy to get to go back to it.

“It’s a wee bit different if you’re someone like Sarah Bonar, who is with me at Quins. She’s an elite athlete so she does rugby full-time. I still have to put my work commitments first. When it happens, there is not much I can do about it. I did join up and the reason I did was to work so I can’t really complain.

“When I was on the sports ban, it was for injury purposes. I would try to do my own gym and speed work, but it’s the fact that rugby is a contact sport. Even though it’s at a high level so it’s all monitored and we do prehab, we didn’t want to take the risk.”

Proctor ran out for Quins in pre-season, but has not yet featured in PWR, with Harlequins currently on a four-game winning streak as they look to push for a top-four finish.

While she was not involved on the pitch against Sale Sharks on Sunday, Proctor had a special role to play on the day, leading the team out and laying a wreath as part of the Remembrance Day celebrations.

She said: “It was a really proud moment. My mum and dad had screenshotted the live video and sent it across to my wee grandad. He messaged me to say how proud he was.

“To do it for your own team is just amazing. It was such a good day, and to get the win as well, it was the perfect day.”

The Stirling native joined Quins from Leicester this summer, with the shorter commute one of the factors behind that decision.

And with the likes of Ellie Kildunne and Spanish international Claudia Peña among the other back three options at Quins, Proctor has no shortage of mentors.

She added: “You’ve got England internationals, Spanish internationals, such a high skill level. Even if you’re not getting game time, you’re still improving massively as a player.

“You’ll have someone telling you ‘hop in here’ or ‘if you step this way, you won’t have to run as far’. Going off other people’s experience is the best way to learn. You have to take it constructively as well, no one is going after you, everyone is there to help you.”

Using that advice, Proctor has a busy upcoming schedule, with the UK Armed Forces in action next Friday, while she is also hoping to get some game time in the Celtic Challenge as she aims to further her international ambitions, having grown up in Stirling and played in the Scottish age groups.