'Diabetes hit like a brick' - Scotland's Stewart

Alex Stewart was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and coeliac disease this year

Rugby World Cup 2025 Pool B: Scotland v Wales

When: Saturday 23 August Venue: Salford Community Stadium Kick-off: 14:45 BST

Coverage: Watch on BBC One & iPlayer, listen on BBC Sounds, follow updates via BBC Sport app and website.

Alex Stewart did not feel like the same player, nor the same person, who had burst onto the Test scene in such impressive fashion during the 2024 Women's Six Nations.

The tough tackling back-row, whose game is built on physicality and work rate, could not understand why her normally reliable engine suddenly seemed to be running on empty.

That was until she received a medical diagnosis which, in her own words, "hit me like a brick".

During this year's Six Nations, the 21-year-old was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and coeliac disease.

"It took a couple of months of real tiredness and feeling really lethargic going to training, not feeling myself, kind of low moods and things like that, which kind of edged me to speak to the doctors a bit more," Stewart told the BBC's Scotland Rugby Podcast.

"I was losing a lot of weight as well, which is obviously due to the diabetes.

"One blood test can tell you a whole lot and a whole lot that I didn't really expect to come back from it. I thought I was maybe a bit deficient in iron or something like that, but no, it was a massive shock."

Stewart admits she was in a state of denial about her new circumstances as she processed the news, but says she is now tackling it head on and learning more about the adjustments she needs to make to her diet and nutrition in order to get back to peak performance.

That comes with its own challenges, as those with diabetes and coeliac disease will testify.

"It's a massive adjustment," says Stewart. "Eating out is really difficult and even just going over to friends.

"You don't want to impose and be like, 'oh, is it gluten-free, is it not?' So it's definitely different.

"I'm trying not to view myself as a problem for everyone else to deal with, but definitely trying to find nice options for gluten-free is quite difficult. Cakes and stuff aren't quite the same.

"So it's quite mentally draining, but I've got loads of people around me to help me, like the nutritionist and the medical team. So I'm everyone's little project and everyone's loving pitching in and stuff like that.

"I'm getting back to myself, getting a bit more colour and training well. So definitely feeling more like the Alex Stewart that I was a year ago."

A fit and firing Alex Stewart will be a valuable asset as Scotland look to make it out the pool at the Rugby World Cup.

Their opening match against Wales in Salford on 23 August could be the critical one to their chances, and Stewart says the prospect of playing in her first World Cup provided her with much-needed motivation in those low moments as she came to terms with her health issues.

"It was a massive pull through and definitely a drive to not spend a lot of time in denial about these diagnoses," she said.

"I think I would have spent a lot of time in denial because that's sort of just the person I am, but I needed to sort it out and sort it out really fast.

"So I'm happy where I am going into this World Cup and I'm happy that I'm feeling a lot stronger and physically fit.

"I think we're definitely going as competitors and we want to give Wales a really good go. We've got the latter stages of the World Cup in our sights and we just need to go out and play our best."