Scottish Rugby

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Alex Masibaka says facing Fiji in a Scotland jersey this summer would represent "a full circle moment" as he aims to make his debut on the international stage.

The 23-year-old back-rower qualifies for the Scots through his Paisley-born mother, but could just as easily be in the white Fijian jersey given his father's heritage.

"I'm very excited," said Masibaka, ahead of Scotland's trip to Suva in the middle of two matches in New Zealand.

"My mother's, she's Scottish and my dad's Fijian, so it'll be a full circle moment for me and my family.

"We're trying to get my parents over and I've got family in Fiji as well who will try to come down for that Fiji game and yeah, it's going to be huge."

Masibaka plays for French side Montpellier but spent last season on loan at Pro D2 side Soyaux-Angouleme and was a shock call-up to the Scotland squad during the Six Nations.

Although he did not manage any game time, the number eight admitted that even being called into the wider squad by Gregor Townsend came as something of a surprise.

"I was a bit shocked at first, to be honest," he said. "I was just sitting on the couch talking to my mum on the phone while she was at work and just got the call and instantly just froze.

"I was just like, 'wow, this is real'. But I had to quickly shape up and come prepared and it's everything I dreamed of.

"I felt like a new kid. Honestly, I was a bit nervous. I know there's some superstars in here and the first person I met was Finn Russell.

"I was very nervous talking to him, but he was just very humble and very good to talk to.

"I'm just trying to learn off the other boys and try to be a sponge and take as much as I can from the team and try to bring it into the next training session. That's my focus at the moment."

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Scotland flanker Alex Stewart "didn't recognise the person in the mirror" before two life-changing diagnoses earlier this year.

The 21-year-old, who has 11 caps to her name, was diagnosed with both Type 1 Diabetes and Coeliac Disease during this year's Women's Six Nations after severe "exhaustion and low moods which didn't add up".

"It was a tough beginning to the year," Stewart revealed in a candid statement. "I was exhausted all the time, struggling with low moods and some other symptoms that just didn't add up.

"I didn't recognise the person I saw in the mirror anymore.

"After experiencing this for a couple of months and being monitored by the medical team at Scottish Rugby and I was sent for a blood test."

Stewart's results provided a a Coeliac Disease diagnosis, which she says she felt "a relief" at receiving.

She was named on the bench for the Italy match, then "woke up to a voicemail from my GP asking me to come in urgently".

"That's when I found out I could also have Type 1 Diabetes," she added.

"It felt like a real blow. Just as I was starting to feel like I was getting a handle on things."

With a continuous glucose monitor fitted the next day, Stewart started to get used to her new life, with the support of the medical team.

A hypoglycaemic episode during Ireland week confirmed what she didn't want to hear - the tournament was over for her.

And while she may not be quite the same person as before, Stewart is learning to see strength in the change.

"Things have changed a lot," she added. "My days now involve insulin, a gluten-free diet, and constantly checking in with how I'm feeling.

"She [the old me] didn't have to carb count before every meal and make sure her glucose levels were good before she trained or before a walk after dinner. She didn't have to make all these additional decisions and adjustments to everyday life.

"But I'm feeling more energetic and healthy than I have in a long time. I'm getting to know a new version of myself."

This new version still has the same ambitions. For now, the main goal is making the World Cup squad.

"I'm just at the start of my journey with diabetes; I've got a lot more to learn and conquer," she added.

"But I've got the rest of my life to worry about that, my main focus is being part of Scotland Women's 2025 World Cup squad."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Rory Darge can understand why Glasgow "really good" head coach Franco Smith is being linked with other jobs, but says the Warriors players are desperate for the South African to remain at Scotstoun.

Smith is entering the final year of his contract and has been linked with a number of other jobs, most notably the vacant Wales head coach position.

Following Glasgow's defeat to Leinster in the United Rugby Championship semi-final earlier this month, Smith refused to confirm if he will still be in charge next season, saying he would take time "to reflect a little bit" over the summer.

"He's a really good coach and showed that with getting the results last year," Darge said.

"He laid out to us after this year all the positives. It's obviously knockout rugby and when you lose, you have that disappointment. We've maybe brushed over a lot of the big wins that we had over the season.

"You focus on the next job and usually it's a game the following week, so you don't celebrate those big wins. But he wanted to do that. He wanted to highlight the good work that had gone into last season.

"He was speaking to us as players in that Monday review and laying out the good stuff that we'd done last season and the work to do next season.

"But you know, the way professional sport is, you don't know what's going to happen, but as it stands, obviously he's the coach."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Scotland prop Anne Young says she wants to make her mark at this summer's Rugby World Cup after being a frustrated spectator at the tournament in New Zealand three years ago.

Young was included in the wider squad in 2022 but failed to see any match action as the Scots lost all three games to exit at the pool stage.

She says they have "unfinished business".

"It is the pinnacle of the sport, going to a World Cup," Young said.

"I went in the wider squad in the last World Cup and didn't manage to get on the pitch, unfortunately.

"So definitely, this is one that I'm hoping I can contribute to one of the games, for sure. It's an incredible opportunity.

"I think being in England, all the home nations will hopefully get a lot of support. It's going to be an incredible spectacle, so I'm hoping that we make it a good one."

Young, 25, says the squad are motivated to make up for the disappointment of the last World Cup when agonising narrow defeats to Wales and Australia cost Scotland a place in the knockout stages.

"I think we were pretty disappointed in the last World Cup, coming close in two games and not managing to get out of our pool stages," Young added.

"That's something that we definitely want to change this year, definitely a lot of unfinished business and hoping to push on past that for sure."

Chris Jones
Rugby Union Correspondent

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As he prepares to start at fly-half against the Western Force, Finn Russell has told us how it is a career ambition of his to win a Test series with the Lions.

The Scottish star is on his third Lions tour, but bar an excellent cameo in the decider against the Springboks four years ago, has yet to nail down a Test place.

This feels like his time, especially after a trophy-laden season with Bath.

"I've never won a series yet and and I would love to win a series," Russell told BBC Sport.

"It's everyone's dream to be a Test Lion, but there is a lot of work to go on before then.

"It's about firing at the right time, which is the Test matches at the end.

"But we will be pushing every game, and as much as it's the Tests that counts, it's the games building up that we have to push to get it right."

For Russell, this starts in Perth on Saturday. A good performance from the Scot could go a long way to ensuring he is lining up against the Wallabies in three weeks' time.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Harry Paterson says this summer's tour matches against Fiji and Samoa are vital for Scotland to avoid another nightmare Rugby World Cup draw.

The Scots were drawn alongside the world's two top-ranked teams, Ireland and South Africa, in Pool A for the 2023 World Cup, losing to both to exit at the first stage.

Edinburgh full-back Paterson says the ranking points available for this summer are crucial for maintaining and even improving Scotland's current ranking of seventh in the world ahead of the draw for the 2027 World Cup in Australia.

The Scots kick off their summer schedule against Maori All Blacks in Whangarei on 5 July - a match which carries no ranking points - before Tests against Fiji in Suva and Samoa in Auckland.

"I think as a squad, we know the importance of rankings this year, especially the games against the Fijians and the Samoans," Paterson said.

"We need to finish this year as high as we can to avoid what happened last World Cup cycle, so we can go with quite a high seeding.

"There's a lot riding on this tour, in terms of those rankings and strength of opposition."

Paterson has endured a frustrating season, missing the Six Nations and much of the domestic campaign through injury, and is relishing the chance to stake a claim for a place in the Scotland team once again.

"I've had a bit of a strange season, managed to get some games at the end of the year after a lot of injuries," he said.

"It's just frustrating, but that means I'll probably have a quite fresh mindset going into this. I haven't had loads of games this year, so I'm ready to fly into it.

"I missed out on all the Six Nations stuff, so I'm really looking forward to trying to get back in the Scotland jersey and performing."

Lauren Jenkins
BBC Sport

Players laying down a marker and encouraging others in their position to raise their game is exactly what Lions had coach Andy Farrell will be hoping for on this tour.

It was certainly true of loose-head prop Ellis Genge with his standout performance against Argentina in Dublin, and Pierre Schoeman off the bench too.

''Genge had an amazing game," said Schoeman.

"He's an amazing bloke - but we're competitive with everything. 'We're competitive in the gym. Even jokes and banter... who can stay in the ice bath the longest? Andrew Porter as well.

"That can really rub off; you're sharpening your swords or your axes together. You have to be the best version of yourself and add value to the Viking ship going to its destination.''

Image source, Lauren Jenkins

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Ollie Smith is relishing the chance to play for Scotland again two years on from his last international appearance.

The Glasgow Warriors full-back is part of Gregor Townsend's squad heading for New Zealand next month to take on the Maori All Blacks and Samoa either side of a trip to Suva to face Fiji.

Smith has not represented his country since the pool stage defeat to Ireland at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, with a serious knee injury suffered the following December ruling him out of action for over a year.

"It's obviously been a long time to actually play for Scotland," Smith said.

"I was in camp in the autumn and the Six Nations, but the prospect of playing never really came around.

"I'm excited to actually get back in the jersey and play a game for Scotland. It's been two years since that Ireland game at the World Cup, so I'm very excited.

"When I first got the injury, I thought it wasn't too bad because I'd had the World Cup, then I went on to miss a league-winning championship [with Glasgow].

"That was difficult, but there's no good time to pick up an injury. It's in the past now, it feels like a long time ago."

Nigel Ringland
BBC Sport Senior Journalist in Perth

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Former Australian international Kurtley Beale says Finn Russell is the player that could lead the Lions to victory in the Test series.

Beale, who played in all three Tests for the Wallabies in 2013, is set to face the Lions again for Western Force when the tour gets underway in earnest here in Perth on Saturday.

Russell is expected to start the game for Andy Farrell’s tourists after helping Bath win their first Premiership title since 1996, a couple of weeks ago.

Farrell names his squad on Thursday.

Beale, 36, told The Australian newspaper,, external “I played with him at Racing and he’s such a mercurial, unpredictable player. And I think with a forward pack like he will have in front of him, he can create a lot of damage.

”He’s obviously got some exciting backs outside him as well who will thrive off of his delivery, his service. So I’d think he’d be the danger man.”

Beale had a stellar international career but infamously slipped when he lined up to take a potential match-winning penalty in the first Test in 2013.

He missed, the Lions won 23-21, and although Australia bounced back to win the second test, they lost the decider and the series.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Forward Lana Skeldon says Scotland have learned lessons around peaking at the right time for the Rugby World Cup after their experiences four years ago in New Zealand.

The Scots lost all three of their pool games at the 2021 tournament, which included agonising narrow defeats by Wales and Australia.

Bryan Easson's side face Wales once again in their tournament opener on 23 August in Salford.

Skeldon says having so many players that have now appeared at a World Cup gives the Scots crucial experience they perhaps lacked four years ago.

"I think obviously it was so new to us the last time," the 31-year-old hooker said.

"We kind of just slung ourselves into it and probably took a fair bit of it in, but not that much, if I'm honest, because we were all just so excited to be going."

So what lessons have Skeldon and her team-mates learned for this time?

"I think I would say just not to get too excited too quick," she suggested.

"You go into training and you give it 100% but allow yourself the time to build up to the World Cup so that, when you get to the World Cup, you're ready for it and you've not just wasted all that energy with too much excitement, essentially.

"So that's for me personally. I'm just enjoying this process - training the best I can, putting myself in the best place for selection.

"And then, when it gets to the World Cup, that's when you can fully embrace it and enjoy it."

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Flanker Andy Onyeama-Christie revealed representing Scotland again was "a big driver" in his recovery from three broken limbs in under two years.

The Saracens flanker broke his arm for the second time in a year in a match against Northampton in March 2024.

Despite missing Scotland's summer tour of the Americas, Onyeama-Christie battled back to fitness for the start of the new season.

But by October, he was on the treatment table again after suffering another horrendous injury against Harlequins, a fractured and dislocated ankle which he described as causing "the worst pain imaginable".

As he prepares to pull on a Scotland jersey for the first time in over a year on the summer tour to New Zealand and Fiji, Onyeama-Christie has been reflecting on his spell on the sidelines.

"In all honesty, it was the first thing I thought of when the injury set-in - was I'm going to miss the autumn and the Six Nations and that was quite heartbreaking," he said.

"I'd worked so hard from my arm and then you can't control these things.

"Scotland's always been a big driver for me, particularly ever since I started playing for Scotland. The more games I play, the more I want to play games.

"So, I'm just excited to be back in now.

"We want to get three wins. I think from a personal perspective I want to maximise the opportunity in terms of how I play but also just being able to be in this environment.

"I'm not based up here so I don't get to spend a lot of time with these boys and it's a great group.

"So being able to maximise time with the boys, time on the pitch with the coaches, understanding how we do things and trying to make it second nature is the plan."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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George Turner says the desire to reach a half-century of caps is the "driving force" behind his return to the Scotland set-up.

The 32-year-old has missed a year of Test rugby having elected to play his club rugby in Japan last season with Kobe Steelers.

Now having joined English Premiership side Harlequins for next season, the former Glasgow Warriors hooker has returned to the national fold for the summer tour looking to add to his 45 caps.

"I've wanted to hit 50 caps for a while and I'm nearly there, so I think that's a good driving force," Turner, who last appeared for Scotland in the 2024 Six Nations, said.

"I'm getting older, but I'm still young enough to have a few more years left. It's cool to be back straight in, just like old times, it's nice."

Turner admits "it was tough" watching Scotland games from afar over the last year has no regrets about his move to Japan.

"It was just really cool," Turner said. "It was really good for my family, they had a great time, they integrated well.

"I didn't want to leave in the end, I felt a bit bad, but no, it was a really cool year for us and for rugby as well, to experience that kind of bit more fast-paced, loose, crazy rugby.

"It took a bit of getting used to, but no, I think it was really cool, really good for me."

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Bundee Aki says it was "frustrating" that he did not link up better with midfield partner Sione Tuipulotu in the British and Irish Lions' defeat by Argentina in Dublin on Friday.

Andy Farrell's side were beaten 28-24 by the Pumas in what was their sole warm-up fixture before they head to Australia for a nine-game tour that includes three Tests against the Wallabies.

While there were encouraging signs with ball in hand, too often key passes did not stick and Aki felt he did not "connect well" with his fellow centre.

"We all know how Sione is as a player, he's class," said Aki, who was also on the Lions' tour to South Africa four years ago.

"The frustrating thing for me was I wasn't able to connect well with him. He's an unbelievable player and there's no excuse, we've got to get better as a partnership going forward."

After the stuttering start for the touring side, Aki believes individual combinations improving will be "better and beneficial for the group".

"He speaks out loud, which is good because that's what we need, him being himself and I just feed off him and he feeds off me. So it's brilliant," Aki said.

"We've just got to be better at it and keep learning together, the more we grow as a partnership and then as a group, it's going to be better and beneficial for the group."

Tuipulotu and Aki would both more regularly be deployed as inside centres, while fellow tourists Garry Ringrose, Huw Jones and Elliot Daly are all more used to wearing the 13 jersey.

Tuipulotu has an established partnership with Jones for both Glasgow and Scotland, while Aki and Ringrose know each other well from Irish sides.

Aki added: "Whoever it is, Garry, Huw, Elliot, as a unit we've got to make sure we gel together and try to get that cohesiveness fairly quick because we need to be better."

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Assistant coach Matt Banahan has left Scotland two months before the Women's Rugby World Cup.

Head coach Bryan Easson admitted he is "disappointed" at the exit of Banahan - who has moved on to another coaching opportunity - but thanked him for "kicking on" the attack team during his tenure.

Ross Miller, who worked with the squad during the 2021 World Cup, and Steve Shingler have been appointed as assistant coaches.

Miller most recently led the Scotland men's Under-18 team at the Six Nations and rejoined the women's programme earlier this month.

Former Scarlets fly-half Shingler joins on secondment from PWR side Trailfinders, where he has been assistant coach for the past season.

Fomer England winger Banahan said he is "incredibly grateful" for his spell with Scotland but said the chance of a new coaching role "closer to home was too good to turn down".

Easson said: "This does now present an exciting opportunity to reset and refresh our coaching team.

"We welcomed Steve into camp during this year's Six Nations and we were really impressed by him then.

"We have several players at Trailfinders, including some of our key attacking players, who have a fantastic relationship with him already and know what he's about which will give us a smooth transition.

"Ross has bedded back in with us really well, we've had a brilliant few weeks as a group with him so far. We've worked together for a long time, and he did a great job with us at the last Rugby World Cup.

"I think he's a brilliant addition to the group, he knows the players and the players know him which helps too."

Kenny Crawford
BBC Sport Scotland

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Transferable skills often go a long way in sport and Francesca McGhie certainly sees the benefit of them.

Seven years ago, her main pursuit was as a dancer at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, but it was a path which didn't enthuse her.

Then her mum saw a social media advert for a girls rugby team in Prestonpans, and the rest is history.

The 21-year-old Scotland winger is now using her fleetness of foot to dodge incoming tackles and bolt to the line.

"I was excited to try something new, and just fell in love with it," said McGhie. "Fourteen-year-old me would be very proud."

McGhie was first called up to represent the senior Scotland squad in 2023 and made her debut against England, where she now plies her trade with Leicester Tigers in the country where she will take part in her maiden Rugby World Cup.

That's still eight weeks away, but if the recent training camp is anything to go by, those couple of months will pass in a flash.

"I think it's going to fly in," said McGhie.

"These last three weeks have gone super fast. We've enjoyed every second of it and all of us are just super excited to get stuck into this World Cup."

Awaiting in Scotland's pool are Canada, Wales and Fiji - ranked second, 10th and 16th in the world respectively, compared to Scotland's seventh.

"We have a very competitive pool," said McGhie, who has amassed 24 caps already.

"Each team brings something different and we'll have to adapt to that.

"It'll be exciting to play Canada, I've never played them before. Wales is a competitor we play every year and they're always an exciting for us, and Fiji are totally different from both of them."

The target for Scotland will be to finish in top two of that pool to earn a quarter-final spot.

And despite the showpiece tournament not being in a more far-flung location, McGhie is convinced it'll be a tremendous sporting and life experience.

"It would be great to travel elsewhere but when you're in it you'll feel like you're floating around somewhere in the rugby bubble," she said.