Scottish Rugby

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Scotland head coach Bryan Easson believes his team now possess the necessary experience to make an impact at the Women's Rugby World Cup after some painful lessons at the last tournament in 2021.

Narrow defeats to Wales and Australia led to the Scots' exit at the pool stage three years ago.

Scotland and Wales renew rivalries in the Pool B opener in Salford on Saturday, and Easson thinks his group is more equipped to deal with the pressure of World Cup rugby.

"I think probably for us there was a lot of frustration at the last World Cup," Easson said.

"We didn't perform at the level we wanted to with two really close games against Wales and Australia, which was really frustrating.

"We probably didn't have the experience then to be able to get us through. A lot of the selection this weekend has been around that experience, to be able to lean on the experience of that team, lean on the leadership group.

"Rachel (Malcolm) and her leadership group have been exceptional the whole week, just keeping everybody's feet on the ground, make sure we're simmering and we'd then hope that that experience when they're on the pitch can make decisions when the pressure comes on, because undoubtedly there's going to be pressure.

"We understand the magnitude of the game and to have those experience heads on the pitch during that time hopefully will just bring us through."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Scrum-half Caity Mattinson says Scotland will have to match the physicality and "niggle" of Wales if they are to get their Women's Rugby World Cup campaign off to a winning start.

The sides meet in the Pool B opener at the Salford Community Stadium on Saturday.

Mattinson hopes the Scots can avenge the 18-15 loss to Wales that contributed to their pool-stage exit at the last World Cup in 2021.

"There's definitely added excitement with it being a repeat of our opening in the 2021 World Cup," Mattinson said.

"There's no shying away from how big a game this is on Saturday. We've spoken massively about a fast start.

"I think we match their physicality. Wales are always a physical side that always is a niggle to it, and we have to be ready for that and raise it.

"We've been through a lot together over the last four years as a squad, and I don't believe there's a squad that cares more about each other in this World Cup than how we feel about each other as a team.

"It probably won't ever look the same again, this group of players will probably not play together again, and we'll absolutely make the most of fighting for one another every step of the way."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Scotland full-back Chloe Rollie says the uncertainty about player contracts has brought the squad closer together as they prepare for Saturday's Women's Rugby Cup opener against Wales.

Disagreements between the squad and Scottish Rugby have played out publicly leading up to the tournament, with Scotland wing Rhona Lloyd claiming over half the 32-player squad will be left without deals after the tournament.

The row has overshadowed much of the World Cup build-up, but Rollie says the team will not allow any off-field issues to affect their performances.

"I think we've had all those discussions that we needed to have about contracts," Rollie said.

"As soon as we got here it's not been something we spoke about, we've kind of taken it on our heads and just decided that's done, that's it.

"We're here now to focus on a World Cup. It's the biggest part of our careers so far and some girls' first World Cup, some girls' maybe last World Cup.

"There's so many variables around it that we just need to leave it and just get on with what we're here to do now.

"We've kind of just pulled together even stronger and looking ahead to each weekend as it comes, just focussing on what we need to do in the moment rather than what's passed and what's to come."

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Scottish Rugby has revealed the iconic a capella second verse of Flower of Scotland began thanks to an innocent mistake from a 21-year-old freelancer.

As Murrayfield Stadium turns 100 years old, the governing body explained how what has become a staple of Scotland matches around the world began during a Six Nations game against France in 2008.

Julie Beels - now Scottish Rugby events lead - was working as a freelance entertainment producer at Murrayfield and said the misunderstanding which led the pipe band to stop playing halfway through the anthem happened during a pre-match sound check.

"It's funny to look back on now, but at the time I thought I'd lose my job," the 39-year-old said.

"We'd only played both verses before, and at the sound check the pipe band asked if we wanted it once or twice and I said, 'Once is fine – it's only the sound checks'. I thought they knew we'd play both verses for real ahead of the match.

"Minutes later, the pipers stopped playing after the first verse of the anthem and my heart just sank. There I was, in front of 67,000 people, thinking, 'That's it. I'm done'.

"But the crowd just kept singing – louder and louder – completely unaccompanied. It gave me goosebumps. From there, it grew a special following.

"Scotland has never had an anthem singer because at Murrayfield the crowd is the singer. It reached a new level that day."

Ms Beels added: "It could – and probably should – have been the worst moment of my career, but instead it's the highlight.

"It's amazing the way it's now done around the world, but I can't help but think 'hey – that's our thing'."

Although Scotland lost 27-6 that day, Scotland's record points-scorer Chris Paterson said it was a "special" moment.

"The game was pretty forgettable, but the memory of the anthem that day is still vivid," he said.

"I can remember initially thinking it must be a mistake and being a bit confused, but as we sang through the second verse the noise rose and the connection with those in the stadium grew.

"I then assumed it must have been deliberate. Whether you're a player, coach, fan, or watching at home - it's special. It's an amazing part of what it means to be part of Scottish rugby."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Chloe Rollie says the British and Irish Lions' series win in Australia has fuelled her desire to be part of the inaugural women's tour in 2027.

The first female Lions squad will head for New Zealand in two years' time and Scotland full-back Rollie would love to be part of that historic moment.

She says watching Andy Farrell's Lions – featuring the likes of Scotland's Finn Russell, Sione Tuipulotu, Huw Jones and Blair Kinghorn – defeat the Wallabies this summer gave her a taste of what might be possible in her own future.

"I think in the past it's not really had that effect because it was it was never an opportunity that we thought we were going to have," Rollie told the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast.

"Now watching it and seeing all the different nations coming together and performing as a team, it really pushes you to want to do that as well.

"I would say it's probably the pinnacle of your career. It's definitely a target that I personally want to push for.

"Looking at the men's side, there was a lot of Scots in it and that makes us really proud as a nation and I think there's no reason why that can't be the same in the women's side.

"We're a small nation but that doesn't matter, we still want to strive to be the best of the best of world rugby."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Bryan Easson says the fact he is stepping down as Scotland head coach after this month's Women's World Cup gives the tournament "an extra edge" for him.

Scottish Rugby confirmed in July that Easson would depart the role after the tournament when his contract expires.

The Scots kick off their campaign against Wales in Salford on August 23.

"The fact that it's the last dance, it does put that little bit of an extra edge on it," Easson told the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast.

"I'm just so excited to see what this group can do. We've had some massive highs but some real lows, and we've gone through a lot together.

"I think that's probably the strength of the group, some of the adversity that we've gone through.

"I've worked with a lot of these players for the last five, six, seven years and just to see them grow, to see this team grow, going from 12th to fifth in the world and going into every game that we play now to have real belief and we expect to win.

"To finish off a Rugby World Cup certainly does fill me with a lot of excitement, but I'll reflect at the end of it. I'll look back and it is a job that I have thoroughly enjoyed."

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Steve Tandy says it was "really tough" to leave his role as Scotland defence coach and paid tribute to Gregor Townsend's "major influence" on his career.

The 45-year-old Welshman ended his six-year Scotland stint last month to take charge of his national team.

"Leaving Scotland was really tough, there are not many jobs that I would have left Scotland for," said Tandy at his Wales unveiling in Cardiff.

"Gregor has had a major influence on me. We are different people, I have a defence mindset and he had an attack mindset, so that shaped how we were going to defend.

"It opened up my mind and he was massive on getting out of your comfort zone and going to different places.

"For example, I went to Melbourne Storm and spent a month there, then you go to AFL.

"He was very much a curious person and always trying to think outside the box, building environments for boys to be themselves.

"The players were incredible to work with and then how Scotland made my family feel, with the support we got.

"It was tough to leave but that tells you about the excitement of this job. I am a passionate Welshman, I want Wales to be putting in performances that everyone can get behind."

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Scotland head coach Bryan Easson has named his 32-player squad for the upcoming Women's World Cup in England.

Captain Rachel Malcolm leads a selection comprising 18 forwards and 14 backs for a Pool B campaign against Wales, Fiji and Canada.

Loughborough Lightning full-back Lucia Scott misses out, but Lana Skeldon has been selected despite the Bristol hooker - whose 81 appearances make her the most-capped member of the squad - leaving the field on a stretcher against Ireland on Saturday.

Scotland's best showing at a Women's World Cup came in 1994 when they finished fifth on home soil in their tournament debut.

The Scots failed to qualify for the 2014 and 2017 editions and didn't make it past the pool stage in 2021.

What do you make of Easson's squad? Do you think Scotland are well equipped this time round - and how far can they go?

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