Scotland rugby player Rhona Lloyd has said she struggled with her body image when she started playing the sport.

Lloyd is currently playing in the Six Nations for Scotland and plays for Loughborough Lightning in the Premier 15s.

Lloyd said her body image struggles began at school.

"When I was 16, 17, I was the only girl in my school that played rugby and it wasn't a really cool thing to do. I really struggled with the body image side of it.

"I remember Scotland U20's giving me this gym programme when I was 16 and this programme had press ups, sit ups, it was the most basic programme and I didn't do it because I didn't want to get muscly.

"I didn't tell them that, it was the only time in my life that I had skipped training."

She describes that time as 'really tough'.

"Yeah it was really tough. It's getting so much better [for players now] as there's so much media coverage of women's sport. At the end of our games we meet so many young girls and I think that's amazing because I definitely didn't do that growing up. 

"The girls you see in magazines when you're younger, when you're impressionable, they aren't fit and athletic, it's models. Now I think it's so important when I go to girls clubs to encourage them because if you want to be a good player you have to be strong."

Other female rugby players have spoken about their struggles with body image. Harlequins' Leah Lyons is now promoting a positive image after suffering with her own struggles and England sevens player Abi Burton also experienced body shaming.