Scotland Women Head Coach Bryan Easson has selected his 30-player squad to travel to Cape Town for WXV 2 which includes 11 Celtic Challenge players from the 2023/24 competition.
Easson has named four uncapped players, three of whom – Aila Ronald, Lucia Scott and Leia Brebner-Holden – recently participated in the Six Nations Summer Series for Scotland Women U20.
Sale Sharks’ Rachel Philipps has also been selected, the centre having recently signed to the PWR side following her time playing for Edinburgh Rugby in the Celtic Challenge.
Amongst the 17 forwards, the experienced Jade Konkel and Sarah Bonar both return to the fold after injury, Konkel for the first time since WXV 2 in 2023, and Bonar after a shoulder injury sustained against Wales in the 2024 Guinness Women’s Six Nations.
Double-Olympian Lisa Thomson makes her return to XV rugby after being in Paris for the 2024 Games with Great Britain Sevens and is amongst 13 backs called upon by Easson.
Ahead of traveling to South Africa for the competition, Scotland will host Wales and Fiji in two Autumn tests.
Scotland’s schedule will begin with a Test against Wales, who are currently eighth in the World Rugby rankings, at Hive Stadium in Edinburgh on Friday 6 September (kick-off 7.35pm).
Scotland secured an historic seventh Test win in a row, against Wales in the 2024 Guinness Six Nations, ending a 20-year-long spell of defeats in Cardiff with an 18-20 victory.
For the first time in history, Scotland Women will face Fiji on Saturday 14 September, kicking off at 4.45pm ay Hive Stadium.
The Fijiana side first began competing on the international stage in 2006 and are currently positioned 13th in the World Rugby rankings.
Scotland will play three teams – Italy, Japan and Australia – in the six-team competition with matches being played in a cross-pool format, with the first match taking place on Saturday 28 September at DHL Stadium against Italy.
Scotland will then move on to face Japan on Saturday 5 October, finishing with a final match against Australia on Saturday 12 October, with both games set to take place at Athlone Stadium.
The competition also sees the final six Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 places on the line.
Scotland Women squad
Forwards
Leah Bartlett (Leicester Tigers)
Christine Belisle (Loughborough Lightning)
Sarah Bonar (Harlequins)
Elliann Clarke (Bristol Bears)
Lisa Cockburn (Gloucester Hartpury)
Eva Donaldson (Leicester Tigers)
Evie Gallagher (Bristol Bears)
Jade Konkel (Harlequins)
Rachel Malcolm (Loughborough Lightning)
Elis Martin (Loughborough Lightning)
Fiona McIntosh (Saracens/Edinburgh Rugby)
Rachel McLachlan (Montpellier)
Lana Skeldon (Bristol Bears)
Aila Ronald (University of Edinburgh/Edinburgh Rugby)*
Alex Stewart (Corstorphine Cougars/Edinburgh Rugby)
Emma Wassell (Loughborough Lightning)
Anne Young (Loughborough Lightning)
Backs
Leia Brebner-Holden (Gloucester-Hartpury/Cheltenham Tigers/Edinburgh Rugby)*
Coreen Grant (Saracens/Glasgow Warriors)
Caity Mattinson (Ealing Trailfinders/Edinburgh Rugby)
Mairi McDonald (Exeter Chiefs/Glasgow Warriors)
Francesca McGhie (Leicester Tigers)
Rhona Lloyd (GB 7s/ Stade Bordelais/Edinburgh Rugby)
Helen Nelson (Loughborough Lightning)
Emma Orr (Bristol Bears/Edinburgh Rugby)
Rachel Philipps (Sale Sharks/Edinburgh Rugby)*
Lisa Thomson (GB 7s/Ealing Trailfinders/Edinburgh Rugby)
Chloe Rollie (Ealing Trailfinders)
Lucia Scott (Hartpury University/Gloucester Hartpury)*
Meryl Smith (Bristol Bears)
*Uncapped player
WXV 2 fixtures
Italy v Scotland, DHL Stadium, Saturday 28 September, kick-off 3pm
Japan v Scotland, Athlone Stadium, Saturday 5 October, kick-off 2pm
Australia v Scotland, Athlone Stadium, Saturday 12 October, kick-off 5pm