The 2026-2027 season schedule brings together key dates across domestic competitions and national player pathway programmes into one place.

Following the release of the club rugby fixtures last week, clubs, schools, players, parents and volunteers will now be able to view the wider domestic rugby landscape, providing greater visibility of how competitions and pathway activity align throughout the season.

The calendar complements the domestic competition fixtures and has been developed to support planning across the game, helping clubs and schools better understand the opportunities available to players at different stages of their rugby journey.

It has been designed to provide greater clarity around the opportunities available to young players throughout the season. It maps key player pathway activity designed to support progression towards the highest levels of domestic and international rugby through age-appropriate experiences, high-quality coaching and purposeful challenge at every stage of development.

By aligning pathway activity alongside schools and youth competitions, the season plan aims to create a clearer picture of the rugby calendar, supporting communication between stakeholders and enabling clubs and schools to prepare more effectively for the season ahead.

Among the key dates included within the calendar are the refreshed Girls’ U16 and U18 competitions which have evolved following a review of girls’ rugby and are designed to support the continued growth of the female game.

The girls’ seasons will kick-off on the weekend of 28 August 2026, with phases running through September, October and November, interspersed with rounds of the National Cup, which culminates in the finals on the weekend of 11 December 2026.

The calendar also highlights girls’ pathway activity and how it aligns with domestic competition commitments, helping players better understand the opportunities available throughout the season.

Girls’ U16 and U18 Inter District activity will take place in weekends where there is no league or cup action, starting on the weekend of 18 September 2026 and going through to the weekend of 18 December.

For the boys’ game, the season plan includes key dates for youth cup competitions and regional pathway activity, helping players, clubs and schools better understand how different programmes align across the season.

A number of Boys’ U16, U17 and U18 regional pathway events will take place throughout January, February and March 2027, including Inter District fixtures and Pro-Alignment activity. These will complement the Boys’ Regional Youth Cup schedule, which culminates with finals on the weekend of 19 March 2027.

The introduction of an aligned season plan reflects a continued focus on collaboration across the domestic and pathway game, recognising the importance of creating connected experiences that support both player development and participation.

The full 2026-2027 Schools, Youth and Pathway Calendar can be viewed on Gainline HERE.

RELATED

Rianna Darroch on the return of the Women’s Central Programme Player Pathway Rianna Darroch on the return of the Women’s Central Programme Wed 24 Jun 2026 Most talented U16s in the country put to the test in St Andrews Player Pathway Most talented U16s in the country put to the test in St Andrews Wed 24 Jun 2026 Stars of the future put to the test at National Talent Pathway Combine Day Player Pathway Stars of the future put to the test at National Talent Pathway Combine Day Wed 3 Jun 2026 Cruikshank thrilled to take on new National Academy Manager role at Scottish Rugby Player Pathway Cruikshank thrilled to take on new National Academy Manager role at Scottish Rugby Fri 29 May 2026 Scottish Rugby introduce new Women’s Performance and Pathway system as Cruikshank appointed as first National Academy Manager Scotland Women Scottish Rugby introduce new Women’s Performance and Pathway system as Cruikshank appointed as first National Academy Manager Thu 28 May 2026 Anya and her dad dare to dream Player Pathway Anya and her dad dare to dream Fri 8 May 2026 Report: Scotland U18 33-19 Georgia U18 Player Pathway Report: Scotland U18 33-19 Georgia U18 Sat 11 Apr 2026 Report: Wales U18 45-12 Scotland U18 Player Pathway Report: Wales U18 45-12 Scotland U18 Fri 10 Apr 2026 U18 men team named for festival finale Player Pathway U18 men team named for festival finale Fri 10 Apr 2026 Team named for final U18 women festival test Player Pathway Team named for final U18 women festival test Thu 9 Apr 2026 Report: Italy U18 23-19 Scotland U18 Player Pathway Report: Italy U18 23-19 Scotland U18 Tue 7 Apr 2026 Roundup: U18 Women’s Six Nations Festival day two Player Pathway Roundup: U18 Women’s Six Nations Festival day two Mon 6 Apr 2026 U18 Men team named for second round of festival Player Pathway U18 Men team named for second round of festival Mon 6 Apr 2026 Teams named for U18 women festival double-header Player Pathway Teams named for U18 women festival double-header Mon 6 Apr 2026 Report: Scotland U18 15-34 Wales U18 Player Pathway Report: Scotland U18 15-34 Wales U18 Fri 3 Apr 2026 Report: Italy U18 26-26 Scotland U18 Player Pathway Report: Italy U18 26-26 Scotland U18 Thu 2 Apr 2026 U18 men team named for festival opener Player Pathway U18 men team named for festival opener Thu 2 Apr 2026 U18 Women team named for festival opener Player Pathway U18 Women team named for festival opener Wed 1 Apr 2026 U18 Men and Women squads named for Six Nations Festivals Player Pathway U18 Men and Women squads named for Six Nations Festivals Mon 30 Mar 2026 Review: Scotland Men U18 33-34 Ireland U18 Player Pathway Review: Scotland Men U18 33-34 Ireland U18 Tue 24 Mar 2026