Four released from Rugby World Cup training squad

Glasgow Warriors pair Nick Grigg (centre) and Kyle Steyn (wing/centre), Edinburgh scrum-half Henry Pyrgos and Newcastle Falcons back-row Gary Graham have all returned to their clubs.

Townsend said: “I’d like to thank these players for the work-rate and commitment they’ve shown as part of our preparations for the Rugby World Cup in Japan.

“They’ve been a credit to a very strong group of players, and we wish them all the best in the season ahead.”
Head Coach Gregor Townsend

He added: “Players are often called up from beyond the 31-man group that travels to a world cup, so I’d encourage these players to keep working as hard on their skills and fitness as they have over the summer, as we may need to call on them in the weeks ahead.”

The national team’s preparations for Japan will intensify once again next week as a series of four home-and-away Summer Test matches begins when Scotland travel to face France on Saturday 17 August, before hosting the return fixture at BT Murrayfield a week later (Saturday 24 August).

The first leg of the double header against Georgia follows on Saturday 31 August, where Scotland will be the first Tier 1 nation to face the Lelos on home soil at the Dinamo Arena in Tbilisi.

The national team will then complete its competitive preparations for RWC2019 on home soil, when they face Georgia on Friday 6 September at BT Murrayfield.

WHERE TO WATCH

The home-and-away pairs of back-to-back fixtures will be broadcast live in HD on Premier Sports, followed by a delayed, free-to-air broadcast on FreeSports (available on Freeview, Sky, Virgin, FreeSat, TalkTalk and BT TV).

SCOTLAND RUGBY WORLD CUP TRAINING SQUAD

FORWARDS (23)

John Barclay (Edinburgh) – 71 caps; Rugby World Cup 2007 and 2011
Simon Berghan (Edinburgh) – 19 caps
Jamie Bhatti (Edinburgh) – 13 caps
Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh) – 7 caps
Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) – 42 caps; Rugby World Cup 2015
Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors) – uncapped
Allan Dell (London Irish) – 22 caps
Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) – 3 caps
Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) – 19 caps
Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh) – 33 caps; Rugby World Cup 2015
Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors) – 51 caps; Rugby World Cup 2015
Stuart McInally (Edinburgh) – 27 caps
Willem Nel (Edinburgh) – 29 caps; Rugby World Cup 2015
Gordon Reid (unattached) – 34 caps; Rugby World Cup 2015
Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh) – 10 caps
Sam Skinner (Exeter Chiefs) – 5 caps
Grant Stewart (Glasgow Warriors) – uncapped
Josh Strauss (Sale Sharks) – 22 caps; Rugby World Cup 2015
Blade Thomson (Scarlets) – uncapped
Ben Toolis (Edinburgh) – 18 caps
George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) – 5 caps
Hamish Watson (Edinburgh) – 25 caps
Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors) – 43 caps; Rugby World Cup 2015

BACKS (17)
Darcy Graham (Edinburgh) – 4 caps
Chris Harris (Newcastle Falcons) – 8 caps
Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors) – 11 caps
Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs) – 67 caps; Rugby World Cup 2015
George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 4 caps
Pete Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 41 caps; Rugby World Cup 2015
Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints) – uncapped
Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) – 21 caps
Sam Johnson (Glasgow Warriors) – 4 caps
Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh) – 11 caps
Greig Laidlaw (Clermont Auvergne) – 71 caps; Rugby World Cup 2015
Sean Maitland (Saracens) – 40 caps; Rugby World Cup 2015
Byron McGuigan (Sale Sharks) – 8 caps
Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) – 24 caps
Finn Russell (Racing 92) – 44 caps; Rugby World Cup 2015
Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) – 50 caps; Rugby World Cup 2015
Duncan Taylor (Saracens) – 21 caps

SCOTLAND SUMMER TESTS
Saturday 17 August – France v Scotland; Allianz Riviera, Nice (kick-off 8pm BST, 9pm local time)
Saturday 24 August – Scotland v France; BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh (kick-off 1.10pm)
Saturday 31 August – Georgia v Scotland; Dinamo Arena, Tiblisi (kick-off 5pm BST, 8pm local time)
Friday 6 September – Scotland v Georgia; BT Murrayfield Stadium (kick-off 7.30pm)

SCOTLAND RUGBY WORLD CUP 2019 POOL A FIXTURES (times are local)
Sunday 22 September – Ireland v Scotland; International Stadium, Yokohama (kick-off 4.45pm)
Monday 30 September – Scotland v Samoa; Kobe Misaki Stadium (kick-off 7.15pm)
Wednesday 9 October – Scotland v Russia; Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa (4.15pm)
Sunday 13 October – Japan v Scotland; International Stadium Yokohama (7.45pm)