The opener that could define World Cup for Scotland and Wales

Scotland v Wales is the opening match of Pool B, with Canada taking on Fiji later on Saturday

Women's Rugby World Cup 2025: Scotland v Wales

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

Coverage: Live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport Online, Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and BBC Sounds

Overview

Rachel Malcolm and Hannah Dallavalle shared a wry smile when Scotland and Wales were once again pooled together during the live draw for the 2025 Rugby World Cup.

The two captains were standing side by side on BBC One's The One Show last October when it was revealed they would be in Pool B alongside Canada and Fiji.

It immediately stirred memories of the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand when Keira Bevan kicked Wales to victory against Scotland in the opening fixture.

It was a boot which subsequently sent Wales through to the quarter-finals and the Scots on the plane home.

Fuelled by that grudge match, the two sides have continued to face off in tournament openers. They were each other's first opponents in both the 2024 and 2025 Women's Six Nations, and as fate would have it they are set to meet again in their Rugby World Cup opener in Salford on Saturday.

If any of the recent fixtures are to go by, fans can expect another close encounter between the Celtic cousins, with both sides knowing this could be the fixture on which their knockout hopes hinge.

Team news

Scotland's most capped player Lana Skeldon has been passed fit after recovering from the ankle injury she suffered in the final warm-up match against Ireland.

Her World Cup had been in doubt, but the experienced hooker, who has a habit of scoring against Wales, is named in the front row with Leah Bartlett and Elliann Clarke.

Sarah Bonar returns to partner Emma Wassell who continues to make her way back into international rugby after having a benign tumour removed last September.

Captain Rachel Malcolm is joined in the back row by Rachel McLachlan and Evie Gallagher, who will make her World Cup debut.

Leia Brebner-Holden is also poised for her first appearance and will form the half-back pairing with Helen Nelson, while centres Lisa Thomson and Emma Orr continue a threatening midfield partnership.

Chloe Rollie, Rhona Lloyd and another World Cup debutant, Francesca McGhie make up the back three.

Wales have mostly reverted to the starting XV which claimed a famous win over Australia in the first Test in Brisbane last month.

Alex Callender, like Skeldon, had been a doubt after limping off in the second Test defeat in Sydney, but has been declared fit to lead Wales alongside Kate Williams. The pair are joined in the back row by Bethan Lewis.

Alaw Pyrs comes in at lock alongside Gwen Crabb, while Rose packs down in the front row with Kelsey Jones and Gwenllian Pyrs.

Lleucu George is preferred at 10 and resumes her half-back partnership with Keira Bevan, while Hannah Dallavalle returns to the midfield with Courtney Keight.

Lisa Neumann will win her 50th cap on the wing, with Nel Metcalfe and Jasmine Joyce-Butchers joining her in the back line.

Carys Phillips is set to make her fourth World Cup appearance from the bench.

View from the camps

Wales' new head coach Sean Lynn and Scotland's outgoing head coach Bryan Easson

Scotland's World Cup preparations have been less than ideal with players facing contract uncertainty and Bryan Easson departing as head coach after the tournament.

But Easson said all the issues have been "pushed aside" and that they have been "firmly focused on this Rugby World Cup".

"We're not looking beyond this game, we're not looking at anything that's come before, we're not looking at anything that's coming after, it's this game. If we take our eye off this game, we could fail," he said.

"It's been really good to be able to have a full week's training with these guys. It's a strong side, probably the strongest I've been able to pick over my time with the national squad."

Scotland captain Rachel Malcolm said despite off-field distractions, the group were in good spirits.

"This is always a pretty excitable bunch. We're pretty lucky that energy isn't something that we have to try and create out of nowhere," she said.

"We've got a group filled with characters both on and off the pitch, so my job is gauging where I need to kind of almost temper the excitement and energy a little bit."

Wales' preparations have been smooth in comparison, head coach Sean Lynn has enjoyed a full pre-season after being catapulted into the Six Nations less than a week after leaving Gloucester-Hartpury.

"I'm really looking forward to it because my first international game was against Scotland away. I finished with my club on Sunday, I was in with them [Wales] on Monday and then it was 'wow, I'm playing Scotland'," Lynn said

"We've had a really good training week, the girls are positive, they're buzzing for it, it's about making sure that we can get a performance."

Wales co-captain Kate Williams said: "It's really important that we hit the ground running straight away and build momentum from the first game.

"Scotland will be a good Test for us but we're also bringing in so much confidence and belief from the team that we've become in this last year.

"I think our defence has come on miles, we've got a proper system in place now. It's a system that we have to trust and it's a system that I think can handle what Scotland can throw at us in attack, with their big midfield runners and their forward pack."

Commentator's notes

BBC Radio Wales commentator Nick Webb: "It's the first game for both Wales and Scotland, but it could also be a defining one for both.

"These two teams are both expected to dispatch Fiji (14th in the world) and struggle against second-ranked Canada, so the winner could be heading for the dubious place of a quarter-final against hosts and favourites England.

"The lesson for supporters from the last few years of fixtures has been to keep everything crossed until the last minute - Keira Bevan belting over a last-minute penalty to win their 2022 World Cup encounter in New Zealand, a conversion sliding wide that would have earned Wales a draw in the 2024 Six Nations, and a narrow three-point defeat in Edinburgh in Sean Lynn's first match in charge.

"The Six Nations didn't get any better for Wales while Scotland also put away the Irish, but events since then have tilted the balance as Wales earned Lynn a first victory in Brisbane (before collapsing in Sydney), while Scotland suffered two warm-up defeats amid discontent over contracts, an issue Wales were only too familiar with previously.

"Both teams have key figures passed fit after injury in Alex Callender and Lana Skeldon, while Wales have key ball-carrier Sisilia Tuipulotu to unleash off the bench after being sadly missed in the Six Nations through injury.

"Familiar foes meet in an unfamiliar venue - just expect a familiar one-score game."

World Cup stats

• This will be the third Rugby World Cup meeting between the two sides after Wales defeated Scotland in the 1994 quarter-final and during the pool stage in 2022 – however, Scotland have won each of their last three Tests against Wales outside of the World Cup.

• Scotland lost all three of their pool games at the 2022 World Cup, the first time they had ever finished a pool stage winless

• Scotland will participate in their seventh World Cup, their best previous performance came on home soil in 1994, when they finished fifth

• Wales have won one and lost two of their pool stage matches in each of the last three editions of the World Cup

• Wales are set to feature in their ninth World Cup, with 2006 being the only edition in which they did not appear; their best finish came in the 1994 when they reached their only semi-final

Line-ups

Scotland: Chloe Rollie; Rhona Lloyd, Emma Orr, Lisa Thomson, Francesca McGhie; Helen Nelson, Leia Brebner-Holden; Leah Bartlett, Lana Skeldon,Elliann Clarke, Emma Wassell, Sarah Bonar, Rachel Malcolm (capt), Rachel McLachlan, Evie Gallagher

Replacements: Elis Martin, Molly Wright, Lisa Cockburn, Jade Konkel, Eva Donaldson, Alex Stewart, Caity Mattinson, Beth Blacklock.

Wales: Nel Metcalfe; Lisa Neumann, Hannah Dallavalle, Courtney Keight, Jasmine Joyce-Butchers; Lleucu George, Keira Bevan; Gwenllian Pyrs, Kelsey Jones, Donna Rose, Alaw Pyrs, Gwen Crabb, Kate Williams (co-capt), Bethan Lewis, Alex Callender (co-capt).

Replacements: Carys Phillips, Maisie Davies, Sisilia Tuipulotu, Abbie Fleming, Georgia Evans, Seren Lockwood, Kayleigh Powell, Carys Cox.

Officials

Referee: Maggie Cogger-Orr (NZR)

Assistant referees: Holly Wood (RFU), Jess Ling (RA)

TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)

FPRO: Rachel Horton (RA)

Watch: Scrum Queens: The Fight for the First World Cup on BBC iPlayer on demand here