Scottish Rugby names Women’s U18 Development squad for week-long rugby festival

The teams will be based at Cardiff University for the week-long Summer Festival and will train and play against each other, with shared unit sessions and coach exchanges, acting as another key development for female international rugby.

All four teams will play a festival day of adapted 30-minute games at Cardiff University Sports Fields on Tuesday 23 July before a double-header at Cardiff Arms Park the following weekend.

The new rugby initiative sees Scottish Rugby partner with the WRU, USA Rugby and Rugby Nederland designed to develop and identify talent at U18s level ahead of the Women’s U18s Six Nations in April 2025.

The squad of 30 players have been selected from three of Scottish Rugby’s training programmes – the Scottish Rugby’s Regional Training Centres which deliver regular enhanced training sessions for rising talent; the Player Development Programme, the entry point of the performance pathway; and the Scottish Qualified Programme for players across the border.

The team will be led by Head Coach Lindsey Smith, with Duncan Harrison and James Wade as Assistant Coaches.

On the announcement of her squad, Smith said: “We’re really looking forward to the opportunity to support our players development with the Summer Festival in Wales. It’s vital that we can expose them to international opposition on a more regular basis.

“As we are drawing on talent from across the country, this festival also offers us more to gel the team both on and off the field, which again is going to be really beneficial as they progress with their rugby and as we look ahead to the 2025 Six Nations festival.

“This is a really exciting opportunity for women and girls’ rugby, and we’re pleased to be partnering with the other three unions to make this happen.”

Scotland Women U18 Development Squad 2024

Forwards

Aisla Merryweather (Hull Ionians)
Amy Vance (Newton Stewart)*
Autumn MacDougall (Biggar)*
Charlotte Lackie (Highland Rugby Club)
Daisy Morrison (Stirling County)*
Ella Rae (Stirling County)*
Ellie Moffat (East Lothian Girls Rugby)*
Emily Coubrough (Biggar)*
Emily Sansom (Stirling County)*
Eve Walker (Biggar)*
Gemma Thomson (Stirling County)*
Hannah Ward (Boroughmuir Banshees)*
Holly Wilson (Biggar)*
Imogen Spence (Biggar)*
Jocelyn Norrie (Garioch)*
Kara Borthwick (Currie Chieftains)*
Layla Mitchell (Ellon)*
Sarah Murray (Biggar)*

Backs

Alice Mason (Currie Chieftains)*
Bethan Mathieson (Dunfermline)*
Eilidh McCulloch (Murrayfield Wanderers)*
Isla Napier (Glenrothes)*
Lucy Giles (Dumfries Saints)*
Lucy Ronald (Strathendrick)*
Niamh MacGregor (Biggar)*
Niamh Waters (Currie Chieftains)*
Nina Hausrath (Perthshire)*
Robyn Allan (Currie Chieftains)*
Scarlett Haddow (Stirling County)*
Tamzin Rosie (Caithness)

*Regional Training Centre supported player

Fixtures

Tuesday 23 July: 30-minute fixtures against USA, Wales, Netherlands
Saturday 27 July: 70-minute fixture against Netherlands, KO 10am