A rugby player who is partially deaf has had the chance to meet her rugby heroes and deliver the match ball in front of thousands.
Ten-year-old Ella Horribine suddenly lost her hearing in her right ear in January 2024.
As a huge rugby fan and player for the Murrayfield Wanderers, she was picked to meet some of her favourite players including Wes Goosen, Ben Vellacott, and James Lang ahead of the BKT United Rugby Championship clash against Dragons RFC.
Ella told STV News: “They learned their names in sign language – they had learned it in one week. That made me quite happy.
“It was quite cool.”
Jokingly, she added: “Wes probably got the easiest one out of the lot.”
One morning last January, Ella woke up to the shocking realisation that she couldn’t hear out of one ear.
Doctors have not determined the cause of Ella’s hearing loss, but Ella has not let her diagnosis hold her back and has begun learning British Sign Language (BSL).
STV News“I had lost sounds in my ear. It felt weird. I went downstairs and told my mum,” she said.
Tests revealed that Ella’s cochlea in her right ear no longer functions, though doctors have not yet determined the cause.
Ella’s mum Heather said she was “shocked and scared” for her little girl following her diagnosis.
“There’s no answers – we’re waiting on genetic testing coming up. We might not ever know why she lost it but she will never get her hearing back in her right ear at all.
“She’s not letting it hold her back – she’s quite inspirational. She’s a wee fighter.”
Ella added: “I felt a little bit scared and nervous (at first.) But I was okay with it.”
The schoolgirl and her family have been learning British Sign Language, with Ella attending monthly youth groups to practice signing.
“It’s got easier – I’ve been doing it for a long time now,” Ella said.
Heather has also completed a six-week course in BSL at home.
“I can do the alphabet, numbers, ask ‘how are you?’ It’s a whole new language.
“Ella has been taking it in her stride – she’s been teaching her friends at school.”
Ella, who has been playing rugby since she was five, is continuing to train and aiming towards making her passion for rugby a career.
Coach Lenny McCulloch has also been on a BSL course to help work better with Ella.
STV News“I was fairly excited to tell her what my age was by signing. I’m a fair bit older, so when I told her my age, she said ‘I haven’t learned up that high in the numbers,’” he said. “She has a sense of humour!”
Despite being partially deaf, Lenny said Ella is one of his best players in the under-12s team.
He said: “Rugby tends to be a visual sport. It doesn’t impact as much as other sports. You describe with their hands what you want them to do.
“It’s not holding her back at all. If you came down, you wouldn’t know she had hearing loss.
“She’s so cheerful and helpful, she’s a very good player and has a good side-step. She’s a dream player to coach.
“I think she has potential. I have no reason to not believe she’ll make it if she puts the time in.”
Ella now attends youth group run by charity Deaf Action who support those who are deaf and hard of hearing
Youth services coordinator Mitchell Graham said the club offers a variety of different activities and is a “safe space” for young people who have hearing loss to learn sign language.
“The youth club is a place they can visit, get involved, a space where they can communicate. We have an interpreter there as well. They don’t feel different or ‘less than’, and there are people there they can relate to.
“It’s amazing to see Edinburgh Rugby players made an effort to learn BSL. We’ve had barriers for many years.
“It makes deaf people feel involved and like they can have a connection with them.
“Ella is incredible. She can inspire other young people to get involved in sports and remind them that deaf people can do anything.
“We want to show there are ways to work through those barriers and to never give up.”
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