Following the end of Scotland Women’s 2025 Rugby World Cup journey, Scottish Rugby has embarked on a new 4-year strategic cycle for the women’s game in Scotland. As the focus now turns to the 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cup cycle and the route to qualification in 2027, there are two clear performance objectives:
- Ensure professional women’s rugby is part of the pathway in Scotland, to provide opportunities for Scottish players in Scotland and prepare them for international rugby.
- Qualify for, and perform at, Women’s Rugby World Cup 2029.
Over time, Scottish Rugby wants to develop an environment which allows players to be based here – if they choose – and represent Scottish teams in credible competitions. This is already underway with a High Performance environment established and currently running at Oriam allowing us to develop more players, more quickly in preparation for 2029.
New centralised training programme
A centralised training programme based at Oriam has now started and features 33 players. There are 18 contracted players and additional 15 players that access support.
This programme provides a high-performance environment to enhance the development of players. All players will play in the Celtic Challenge, of which there will be 10 competition fixtures in the coming season, which will culminate in Semi-Finals and a Final.
Celtic Challenge will also feature identified players from Arnold Clark Premiership, BUCS and Scottish Qualified Programme who can use the competition as a step in their development.
Increased contract numbers for 2025/26 Women’s Programme
Scottish Rugby has confirmed its annual contracting model for the 2025/26 season, which sees an increase in contracted players from the previous year and up to 50 having access to high-performance environments.
The contracting model for Scotland Women players has not changed from last season and continues to have a mix of players based in England and playing in the PWR, in France playing in the Élite 1 Féminine, and others based in Scotland playing the Celtic Challenge..
As of now, for Season 2025/26 there are 35 contracts in place (28 full contracts and 7 development contracts):
- 17 players with full contracts will be supported to play rugby outside of Scotland;
- 11 players with full contracts and 7 players with development contracts will be supported through the Centralised programme at Oriam, and then with either Edinburgh or Glasgow in the Celtic Challenge.
- This is an increase from 32 contracts in the 2024/35 season.
What are player contracts?
A Scottish Rugby contract is designed to give players financial support so they can focus on rugby within their local playing environment.
Players are not ‘contracted’ to play for Scotland, they are selected – in other words, players are still eligible to play for Scotland even if they are not contracted. Players selected for Scotland are paid separately when in Scotland camp through the National Team Agreement. This means players, regardless of whether they are with or without a Scottish Rugby contract, are remunerated for the time needed to be in camp and prepare for Test matches.
Increase in Scotland Tests
Between the newly launched WXV Global Series and the Guinness Women’s Six Nations, Scotland will be regularly playing the best teams in the world, the 2025/26 season encompassing 10 international Tests.
Scottish Rugby is investing to future-proof player development and, over time, remove the reliance on players being based outside of Scotland for their competitive rugby: we want our best players to be available for club and country.
Since the start of the Celtic Challenge in the 2022/23 season, 15 players have participated in the competition and been involved in Senior Scotland squads.
Recruitment
In addition to the international search underway to recruit the Scotland Women Head Coach, Scottish Rugby will also be appointing two new key roles: Head of Women’s Performance Pathways and a Managing Director of Women’s Rugby. Both of these roles are new positions, with the latter being the first position dedicated to women’s rugby in Scottish Rugby’s Senior Leadership Team.
Players are now training within the centralised programme at Oriam, Edinburgh.
