Scotland national rugby union team
Emblem | Thistle | ||
---|---|---|---|
Union | Scottish Rugby Union | ||
Head coach | Gregor Townsend | ||
Captain | Finn Russell & Rory Darge (Co-Captains) | ||
Most caps | Ross Ford (110) | ||
Top scorer | Chris Paterson (809) | ||
Top try scorer | Stuart Hogg (27) | ||
Home stadium | Murrayfield Stadium | ||
| |||
World Rugby ranking | |||
Current | 6 (as of 18 March 2024) | ||
Highest | 5 (2018 & 2023) | ||
Lowest | 12 (2015) | ||
First international | |||
Scotland 1–0 England (Edinburgh, Scotland; 27 March 1871) | |||
Biggest win | |||
Scotland 100–8 Japan (Perth, Scotland; 13 November 2004) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
Scotland 10–68 South Africa (Edinburgh, Scotland; 6 December 1997) | |||
World Cup | |||
Appearances | 10 (First in 1987) | ||
Best result | Fourth place (1991) | ||
Website | scottishrugby.org |
The Scotland national rugby union team (
As of 14 February 2024, Scotland are 6th in the World Rugby Rankings.[1]
The history of the team extends back to 1871 when the Scottish rugby team played
Scotland have beaten all major rugby union playing nations except for New Zealand, the best result being two draws.
History
1871–1924
The Scots issue a challenge
In December 1870 a group of Scots players issued a letter of challenge in The Scotsman and in Bell's Life in London, to play an England XX at rugby rules. This led to the first-ever rugby international match being played at Academical Cricket Club's ground at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, on Monday 27 March 1871.
In front of around 4,000 spectators, the Scots won the encounter by a try (made by
The Calcutta Cup
The Calcutta Cup was donated to the Rugby Football Union in 1878 by the members of the short-lived Calcutta Rugby Club. The members had decided to disband: the cup was crafted from melted-down silver rupees which became available when the club's funds were withdrawn from the bank. The Cup is unique in that it is competed for annually only by England and Scotland. The first Calcutta Cup match was played in 1879 and, since that time, over 100 matches have taken place.[5]
Origins of the Nations Championship
In 1882 the Home Nations Championship, the fore-runner of the modern Six Nations Championship was founded with Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland taking part.[6] The Scots enjoyed occasional success in the early years, winning their first Triple Crown in 1891 and repeating the feat again in 1895,[6][7] and vying with Wales for dominance in the first decade of the 20th century.[6] Further Triple Crowns wins for Scotland followed in 1901, 1903 and 1907.[7] However, Scotland's triumph in 1907 would be the last for eighteen years as the First World War (1914–1918) and England's dominance afterwards would deny them glory.[6]
Home ground
In 1897 land was purchased by the SFU at Inverleith, Edinburgh. Thus the SFU became the first of the Home Unions to own its own ground. The first visitors were Ireland, on 18 February 1899 (Scotland 3–9 Ireland). International rugby was played at Inverleith until 1925. The SFU bought some land and built the first Murrayfield Stadium which was opened on 21 March 1925.[7]
1925–1945
In 1925 Scotland already had victories over France at Inverleith (25–4), Wales in Swansea (24–14) and Ireland in Dublin (14–8). England, the Grand Slam champions of the two previous seasons were the first visitors to Murrayfield. 70,000 spectators saw the lead change hands three times before Scotland secured a 14–11 victory which gave them their first-ever Five Nations Grand Slam.[8]
In 1926, Scotland became the first
The outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 brought rugby union in Scotland to a halt. The SRU cancelled all arranged trial and international matches and encouraged the member clubs to carry on as best they could. Some clubs closed down, others amalgamated and carried on playing other local clubs and, sometimes, teams from the armed forces stationed in their various areas.[7]
1946–1987
Internationals resumed in the 1946–47 season, although these were not formally recognised and no caps were awarded to participating players.[7] In January 1946, Scotland played and defeated a strong New Zealand Armed Forces team by 11–6.[10][11] Scotland resumed full international matches in February 1947, losing 22–8 to Wales at Murrayfield.[7]
The period after World War Two was not a successful one for Scotland. In 1951, the touring Springboks massacred Scotland 44–0 scoring nine tries, a then record defeat.[12] Scotland suffered 17 successive defeats between February 1951 and February 1955, scored only 54 points in these 17 games: 11 tries, six conversions, and four penalties.[13]
The teams from 1955 to 1963 were an improvement. There were no wins over England, but three of the games were drawn. Occasional wins were recorded against Wales, Ireland and France.[14] 1964 was a good year for Scotland. New Zealand were held to a 0–0 draw, the last international match in which no points were scored.[15] The Calcutta Cup was won 15–6, the first time since 1950[16] and they shared the Five Nations title in 1964 with Wales.[17]
In 1971 the SRU appointed Bill Dickinson as their head coach, after years of avoidance, as it was their belief that rugby should remain an amateur sport. He was officially designated as an "adviser to the captain".[18]
Scotland were the first of the
On 1 March 1975, around 104,000 spectators watched Scotland defeat Wales 12–10 in a Five Nations match at Murrayfield. The attendance at the time was a World Record for a Rugby Union match, and remains the record attendance at Murrayfield.[19][20] That win was part of a run of nine successive wins at Murrayfield during the 1970s for the national side, but they were unable to transfer that form outwith Scotland, only managing two away wins during the decade.[21]
In 1977
Jim Telfer became national coach in 1980,[24] inheriting a squad of genuine potential.[23] In March 1982 Scotland won away in Wales for the first time in 20 years.[25] Scotland toured Australia in July 1982 and won the first test, Scotland's first away victory against any of the big three Southern Hemisphere sides.[26][27] After this, the 1983 season was a disappointment; losing their first three Five Nations matches.[28] However, the tournament ended on a high when Scotland recorded only their second victory over England at Twickenham since 1938.[24] Scotland then went on to draw with the All Blacks 25–25 in the late autumn.[28]
Scotland recovered their form in 1984 and achieved their second
In January 1986, a trial match between "Blues" (players expected to feature for Scotland) and "Reds" (emerging players with a possible international future) resulted in a shock 41–10 win for the "Reds".[31] The "Reds" team included Gavin and Scott Hastings, Finlay Calder and David Sole, all of whom who would debut for Scotland in the Five Nations that year and feature prominently for side in the years that followed.[32] Scotland went on to share the 1986 Five Nations championship with France, each side winning three out of their four games.[33] The series also saw Scotland thrash England 33–6 at Murrayfield; Scotland's record win over the English, at the time one point short of Scotland's best score in any rugby union international and England's heaviest defeat in over a century.[34]
1987–2000
Scotland went to the first World Cup, played in New Zealand and Australia in the summer of 1987. John Rutherford, the team's general and controlling influence, had injured his knee on an unauthorised tour of Bermuda. He broke down after less than a quarter of an hour of the first World Cup match against France and never played for Scotland again. Scotland had been in the lead but the match finished level. Scotland lost to New Zealand in the quarter-final. On 27 June 1988, Ian McGeechan was appointed as head coach to succeed Derrick Grant who had retired after the end of the 1988 Five Nations series.[35]
Their greatest year in the modern era was 1990,
The second World Cup took place in 1991 with matches shared between the Five Nations. Scotland won their pool, though the game against Ireland was close, and then beat Western Samoa in the quarter-final. They lost to England in the semi-final held at Murrayfield to a Rob Andrew drop goal. In the third place play-off they were beaten by New Zealand.[39]
Scotland went through 1994 without a single win,[40] but bounced back in 1995 to win their first three Five Nations matches.[41] This run of wins included a 23–21 win away against France, courtesy of a last minute try and conversion by Gavin Hastings.[40] This was Scotland's first win in Paris since 1969.[40][41] The last Five Nations match was another Grand Slam decider against England; however, this time the English defeated the Scots 24–12, largely due to the kicking prowess of Rob Andrew.[41]
The third World Cup, held in South Africa, came in 1995. Pool play saw a narrow defeat by France, thanks to an injury-time try, and Scotland finished second in the pool. They were eliminated in the quarter-final against New Zealand.[42]
Scotland won the last-ever Five Nations Championship in 1999 with a last minute win by Wales over England.[43] However, in the 1999 World Cup they suffered a quarter-final defeat to New Zealand.[44]
2000–2008
Scotland endured a torrid Six Nations in 2000, losing their first four straight games.[45] but won the final game against England 19–13 under captain Andy Nicol.[46]
Australian coach Matt Williams became the first foreigner to coach Scotland in 2003.[47] However his tenure was both controversial and unsuccessful, marred by a string of poor results and fall-outs with coaches and players.[47][48][49] In 2004 Williams attempted to introduce a controversial "Fortress Scotland" policy, whereby only those currently playing in Scotland were eligible to play in the national team.[50] Meanwhile, the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) came under new management, chief executive Phil Anderton (known as 'Firework Phil' for his pre-match entertainment spectacles) was leading the way back to financial solvency and implementing major reforms to reverse the decline of the game in Scotland, but he resigned in January 2005 after his boss David Mackay was forced to resign by the SRU's general committee.[51][52] By April 2005, Scotland had won only three out of 17 matches under Williams.[47] Following a review by the SRU and public criticism from several of his players,[49] Williams was finally sacked on 25 April 2005.[53]
Frank Hadden, the head coach of Edinburgh Gunners, was appointed interim coach for the 2005 summer internationals against the Barbarians and Romania,[54] winning both.[55] On 15 September 2005, he was appointed national coach of the Scotland team.[55]
In the first match of the 2006 Six Nations campaign, against France, Scotland won 20–16,[56] and this was the first time since 1999 that they had beaten France.[57] Scotland also beat England 18–12 at home at Murrayfield to reclaim the Calcutta Cup.[58] In the
In 2007, Scotland became the first Six Nations team to lose at home to Italy, 17–37.[62] This was Italy's biggest ever victory over Scotland, home or away. Later that year, the side travelled to France for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. They made their way through their group and reached the quarter finals, where they were knocked out by Argentina.[63]
Scotland opened their 2008 Six Nations campaign losing 27–6 to France at home.[64] Pressure on Frank Hadden started to intensify after Scotland lost to Wales[65] and then to Ireland.[66] They then defeated England in the Calcutta Cup with a 15–9 victory[67] before succumbing to Italy, avoiding the wooden spoon only on scoring difference.[68] They then toured Argentina in the summer to play two tests against Argentina. They lost the first test 21–15, but won the second 26–14.[69]
2009–present
In a dismal 2009 Six Nations campaign, Scotland won just one match for a second consecutive year (against Italy) and thus, on 2 April 2009 Frank Hadden resigned as head coach of the national side.
In the
Scotland had a poor showing in the 2011 Six Nations, winning just one match, a 21–8 victory over Italy.[77] In the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Scotland struggled to beat Romania 34–24 and Georgia 15–6,[78][79] before losing 13–12 to Argentina.[80] Needing a win going into their final match against England in Auckland, they led 12–3 with a quarter of the game to go, only to lose out to a Chris Ashton try, going down 16–12. This was the first time Scotland had been knocked out in the group stages of the Rugby World Cup.[81]
Scotland were terrible during the
During the 2013 Six Nations, Scotland won their matches against Italy and Ireland to finish third, their best finish in the competition since 2006. On 3 May 2013, Johnson was named the first ever Director of Rugby for Scotland responsible for overseeing all rugby in the nation.[88] On 27 May 2013, it was announced that Vern Cotter would become head coach of Scotland, but the SRU had to wait until 2014 as club Clermont failed to reach an agreement with the SRU to release Cotter a year early from his contract.[89]
Scotland had a dismal 2014 Six Nations campaign; managing only one win (away in Italy), finishing second bottom and hammered 51–3 by Wales in the final match.[90] Vern Cotter finally assumed his role as head coach, and in June of the same year Scotland won three tests against the top teams of the Americas, before being hammered by South Africa 55–6.[91] The three autumn tests held at Murrayfield during November yielded wins over Argentina and Tonga, and a narrow defeat against New Zealand.[92][93] The test against Tonga took place at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock, and was the first Rugby Union international to be played on an artificial surface.[93]
The 2015 Six Nations Championship ended in a whitewash for Scotland, despite optimism amongst players and supporters beforehand.[94] However, Scotland displayed improved performances in their World Cup warm-up games over the summer, with two wins over Italy and narrow defeats away in Ireland and France.[95] Scotland played well at the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England; qualifying from their group by beating Japan, USA and Samoa, although they lost to South Africa. Scotland played Australia in the quarter-finals, and with 30 seconds remaining led 34–32, having benefited from an incorrect refereeing decision that resulted in Scotland's second try.[96] However, referee Craig Joubert then awarded the Wallabies a highly controversial penalty, later judged by the game's ruling body to be incorrect, which Bernard Foley scored to give Australia victory.[97][98]
Scotland lost their first two games in the 2016 Six Nations Championship, extending their losing streak in the Six Nations to nine matches, their worst run in the championship since the 1950s.[99] The Scots finally ended their losing run with a 36–20 win over Italy in Rome; John Barclay, John Hardie and Tommy Seymour all scoring tries.[100] Scotland followed that win up with a victory over France at Murrayfield; Stuart Hogg, Duncan Taylor and Tim Visser scoring tries in a 29–18 win. It was Scotland's first victory over France since 2006, and also ended a 10 match losing streak against Les Bleus.[101] Scotland had a successful tour of Japan in June (winning both test matches),[102] and during the Autumn Internationals recorded a third consecutive win against Argentina (their seventh recognised win overall against the Pumas).[citation needed]
In the
Gregor Townsend took over as head coach in June 2017. His first fixture as head coach was against Italy in Singapore where Scotland won 34–13. A week later Scotland defeated Australia 24–19 in Sydney, the second time in a row Scotland had won on Australian soil. The victory was made more notable by the list of absentees, such as Stuart Hogg and Grieg Laidlaw, who were in New Zealand on Lions' duty. The tour was concluded by a 27–22 loss to Fiji in Suva.
Victory over Samoa in November 2017[108] was followed by a breathtaking performance against New Zealand at a sold-out Murrayfield. Tries from Jonny Gray and Huw Jones brought Scotland to 17–22 with barely a minute to go, but it took a superb cover tackle from the All Blacks fly-half Beauden Barrett to prevent Stuart Hogg from scoring a winning try.[109] A week later Scotland registered a record win over the Wallabies, who played with 14 men for the majority of the game after Kepu's dismissal, inflicting eight tries on the visitors in what was the Australian hooker Stephen Moore's final international game. Scotland won 53–24, their biggest ever margin of victory over Australia.[110]
In the 2019 Rugby World Cup, Scotland took an early exit with losses to both Ireland and the hosts. Scotland did however score ninety-five unanswered points across two wins against Samoa and Russia.[111]
On 6 February 2021, Scotland won their first game of that year's Six Nations tournament, defeating England 6 – 11 at Twickenham for the first time since 1983 and securing the Calcutta Cup.[112] On 13 February they lost their next match, against Wales, 25–24 at Murrayfield.[113]
In 2024 the Scotland Rugby Men's Team featured in a Netflix documentary Six Nations: Full Contact.[114]
Thistle and the anthem
The
"
Strip
Scotland have traditionally worn navy blue jerseys, white shorts and blue socks. On the occasion that Scotland is the home side and the opposing team normally wears dark colours, Scotland will use its change strip. Traditionally this is a white jersey with navy blue shorts and socks. For a brief period, when Cotton Oxford were the shirt sponsors, the white shirt was replaced by a bright orange one with orange and blue hoops on the sleeves. This was first used against the
Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors
In September 1993, a sponsorship deal was announced with
On 3 September 2007 it was announced that the then Rangers chairman Sir David Murray's company would become the new shirt sponsor, in a deal worth £2.7 million over three years.[123] In August 2011, the Royal Bank of Scotland took over as main sponsors of Scottish Rugby, after Sir David Murray's company decided to end their sponsorship. BT became the primary shirt sponsor as part of the £20 million deal signed in 2014.[124] In the summer of 2021 Peter Vardy Group replaced BT as principal partner and shirt sponsor.[125]
Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
---|---|---|
1960s–1994 | Umbro | No shirt sponsor |
1994–1998 | Pringle | The Famous Grouse |
1998–2000 | Cotton Oxford | |
2000–2008 | Canterbury | |
2008–2011 | Murray | |
2011–2013 | RBS
| |
2013–2015 | Macron | |
2015–21 | BT | |
2021– | Peter Vardy Group |
Between the 2007 Rugby World Cup warm up games and the 2013 South African quadrangular tournament, the fonts used for their number kit on the back of their kits were Crillee Extra Bold Italic. But since Macron took over as kit supplier, the number fonts on the back of their kits were Arial rounded MT bold (or Oswald Bold, during the 2015 Rugby World Cup).
Home stadium
Scotland play at Murrayfield Stadium which is the largest sports stadium in Scotland and with a capacity of 67,144 - the
The stadium has been developed over the years with the East Stand built in 1983, the new North and South stands in 1993 and a redeveloped West Stand completed in 1994.
Murrayfield's record attendance of 104,000 was set on 1 March 1975 when Scotland defeated Wales 12–10 during the 1975 Five Nations Championship.[126] This attendance stood as a world record until 1999 when 107,042 attended the Bledisloe Cup match between Australia and New Zealand in Stadium Australia.[127]
Record
[128] | Top 20 as of 18 March 2024|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | Change* | Team | Points | ||
1 | South Africa | 94.54 | |||
2 | Ireland | 90.69 | |||
3 | New Zealand | 89.80 | |||
4 | France | 87.92 | |||
5 | England | 85.75 | |||
6 | Scotland | 82.82 | |||
7 | Argentina | 80.68 | |||
8 | 1 | Italy | 79.41 | ||
9 | 1 | Australia | 77.48 | ||
10 | 2 | Wales | 77.26 | ||
11 | Fiji | 76.38 | |||
12 | Japan | 74.27 | |||
13 | Georgia | 74.02 | |||
14 | Samoa | 72.23 | |||
15 | 1 | Tonga | 71.57 | ||
16 | 1 | Portugal | 70.28 | ||
17 | United States |
67.94 | |||
18 | Uruguay | 67.39 | |||
19 | Spain | 64.37 | |||
20 | Romania | 61.66 | |||
* Change from the previous week | |||||
Scotland's historical rankings | |||||
See or edit source data. | |||||
Source: World Rugby[128] Graph updated to 4 March 2024 |
Six Nations
Scotland competes annually in the Six Nations Championship, which is played against five other European nations: France, England, Ireland, Italy and Wales.[6] The Six Nations started out as the Home Nations Championship in 1883, with Scotland sharing the championship with England in 1886 before winning the title outright for the first time a year later.[6] Scotland have won the title outright 14 times and shared the championship a further eight times. Scotland have won three Grand Slams (including the Triple Crown) in 1925, 1984 and 1990, in addition to a further seven Triple Crowns.[6] They also contest the Calcutta Cup with England as part of the championship.[6] Scotland were the winners of the last Five Nations in 1999, before Italy joined the competition to make it the Six Nations.[6]
Trophies within the Six Nations
The Triple Crown is awarded to the Scotland, England, Ireland or Wales national side if they can beat the other three 'Home Nation' sides in the Six Nations tournament of that year. Ireland is the current holder.
The Calcutta Cup is awarded to the winner of the Scotland – England match in the Six Nations tournament. Scotland is the current holder.
The Centenary Quaich is awarded to the winner of the Scotland – Ireland match in the Six Nations tournament. Ireland is the current holder.
The Auld Alliance Trophy is awarded to the winner of the Scotland – France match in the Six Nations tournament. France is the current holder.
The Doddie Weir Cup is awarded to the winner of the Scotland – Wales match in the Six Nations tournament. Scotland is the current holder.
The Cuttitta Cup is awarded to the winner of the Scotland – Italy match in the Six Nations tournament. Italy is the current holder.
Beating all the sides in the Six Nations is called a Grand Slam but this has no trophy.
England |
France |
Ireland |
Italy |
Scotland |
Wales | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tournaments | 128 | 95 | 130 | 25 | 130 | 130 |
Outright wins (shared wins) | ||||||
Home Nations | 5 (4) | — | 4 (3) | — | 9 (2) | 7 (3) |
Five Nations | 17 (6) | 12 (8) | 6 (5) | — | 5 (6) | 15 (8) |
Six Nations | 7 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
Overall | 29 (10) | 18 (8) | 16 (8) | 0 (0) | 14 (8) | 28 (11) |
Grand Slams | ||||||
Home Nations | — | — | — | — | — | 2[129] |
Five Nations | 11 | 6 | 1 | — | 3 | 6 |
Six Nations | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Overall | 13 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 12 |
Triple Crowns | ||||||
Home Nations | 5 | — | 2 | — | 7 | 6 |
Five Nations | 16 | — | 4 | — | 3 | 11 |
Six Nations | 5 | — | 7 | — | 0 | 5 |
Overall | 26 | — | 13 | — | 10 | 22 |
Wooden Spoons | ||||||
Home Nations | 7 | — | 10 | — | 5 | 6 |
Five Nations | 10 | 12 | 15 | — | 15 | 10 |
Six Nations | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 4 | 2 |
Overall | 17 | 13 | 25 | 18 | 24 | 18 |
Individual trophies
The Hopetoun Cup is awarded to the winner of Scotland – Australia test matches. Australia is the current holder.
The Douglas Horn Trophy is awarded to the winner of Scotland – Canada test matches. Scotland is the current holder.
Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup | Qualification | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | Squad | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1987 | Quarter-finals | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 138 | 99 | Squad | Invited | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1991 | Fourth Place | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 162 | 64 | Squad | Automatically qualified | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1995 | Quarter-finals | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 179 | 75 | Squad | Automatically qualified | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1999 | Quarter-finals | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 173 | 108 | Squad | 1st | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 170 | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2003 | Quarter-finals | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 118 | 130 | Squad | Automatically qualified | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2007 | Quarter-finals | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 129 | 85 | Squad | Automatically qualified | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2011 | Pool Stage | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 73 | 59 | Squad | Automatically qualified | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2015 | Quarter-finals | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 170 | 128 | Squad | Automatically qualified | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2019 | Pool Stage | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 119 | 55 | Squad | Automatically qualified | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2023 | Pool Stage | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 146 | 71 | Squad | Automatically qualified | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total | Fourth Place | 46 | 26 | 1 | 19 | 1407 | 874 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 170 | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Scotland has competed in every Rugby World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1987. Their best finish was fourth in 1991.[39] In their semi-final on 26 October 1991 Scotland lost 6–9 to England at Murrayfield after Gavin Hastings missed a penalty almost in front of and a short distance from the posts. On 30 October Scotland lost the third-place play-off to New Zealand in Cardiff 13–6.[39] Since then they have qualified for the quarter-finals in all but two occasions, in 2011 and 2019.[81] In 2015, they came within 30 seconds of a famous win over Australia; however, a last minute penalty sealed the win for the Wallabies.[97]
World Cup results | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Stage | Team | Score | Team | Venue |
1987 | Pool 4 | France | 20–20 | Scotland | Lancaster Park |
Scotland | 60–21 | Zimbabwe | Athletic Park | ||
Romania | 28–55 | Scotland | Carisbrook | ||
Quarter-final | New Zealand | 30–3 | Scotland | Lancaster Park | |
1991 | Pool B | Scotland | 47–9 | Japan | Murrayfield |
Scotland | 51–12 | Zimbabwe | Murrayfield | ||
Scotland | 24–15 | Ireland | Murrayfield | ||
Quarter-final | Scotland | 28–6 | Western Samoa | Murrayfield | |
Semi-final | Scotland | 6–9 | England | Murrayfield | |
Third-place play-off | Scotland | 6–13 | New Zealand | Cardiff | |
1995 | Pool D | Ivory Coast | 0–89 | Scotland | Rustenburg |
Scotland | 41–5 | Tonga | Pretoria | ||
France | 22–19 | Scotland | Pretoria | ||
Quarter-final | New Zealand | 48–30 | Scotland | Pretoria | |
1999 | Pool 1 | Scotland | 29–46 | South Africa | Murrayfield |
Scotland | 43–12 | Uruguay | Murrayfield | ||
Scotland | 48–0 | Spain | Murrayfield | ||
Quarter-final play-off | Scotland | 35–20 | Samoa | Murrayfield | |
Quarter-final | Scotland | 18–30 | New Zealand | Murrayfield | |
2003 | Pool B | Scotland | 32–11 | Japan | Townsville |
Scotland | 39–15 | United States |
Brisbane | ||
France | 51–9 | Scotland | Sydney | ||
Scotland | 22–20 | Fiji | Aussie Stadium | ||
Quarter-final | Australia | 33–16 | Scotland | Brisbane | |
2007 | Pool C | Scotland | 56–10 | Portugal | Saint-Étienne |
Scotland | 42–0 | Romania | Murrayfield | ||
Scotland | 0–40 | New Zealand | Murrayfield | ||
Scotland | 18–16 | Italy | Saint-Étienne | ||
Quarter-final | Argentina | 19–13 | Scotland | Stade de France | |
2011 | Pool B | Scotland | 34–24 | Romania | Invercargill |
Scotland | 15–6 | Georgia | Invercargill | ||
Argentina | 13–12 | Scotland | Wellington | ||
England | 16–12 | Scotland | Auckland | ||
2015 | Pool B | Scotland | 45–10 | Japan | Kingsholm, Gloucester |
Scotland | 39–16 | United States |
Elland Road, Leeds | ||
South Africa | 34–16 | Scotland | St James' Park, Newcastle | ||
Samoa | 33–36 | Scotland | St James' Park, Newcastle | ||
Quarter-final | Australia | 35–34 | Scotland | Twickenham | |
2019 | Pool A | Ireland | 27–3 | Scotland | Yokohama |
Scotland | 34–0 | Samoa | Kobe | ||
Scotland | 61–0 | Russia | Fukuroi | ||
Japan | 28–21 | Scotland | Yokohama | ||
2023 | Pool B | South Africa | 18–3 | Scotland | |
Scotland | 45–17 | Tonga | |||
Scotland | 84–0 | Romania | |||
Ireland | 36–14 | Scotland |
Overall
Scotland achieved 100 points for the first time in defeating a
Below is table of the representative rugby matches played by a Scotland national XV at test level up until 17 March 2024.
Opponent | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Win % | For | Aga | Di |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Argentina | 22 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 50% | 516 | 403 | +113 |
Australia | 34 | 12 | 22 | 0 | 35.29% | 493 | 801 | −308 |
Canada | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 80% | 153 | 59 | +94 |
England | 142 | 47 | 76 | 19 | 33.1% | 1321 | 1754 | −433 |
Fiji | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 77.78% | 286 | 201 | +85 |
France | 103 | 40 | 60 | 3 | 38.83% | 1356 | 1602 | −246 |
Georgia | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 219 | 54 | +165 |
Ireland | 142 | 66 | 71 | 5 | 46.48% | 1522 | 1752 | −230 |
Italy | 37 | 28 | 9 | 0 | 75.68% | 959 | 622 | +337 |
Ivory Coast | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 89 | 0 | +89 |
Japan | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 88.89% | 363 | 132 | +231 |
New Zealand | 32 | 0 | 30 | 2 | 0% | 372 | 953 | −581 |
Pacific Islanders | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 34 | 22 | +12 |
Portugal | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 56 | 10 | +46 |
Presidents XV | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 27 | 16 | +11 |
Romania | 14 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 85.71% | 559 | 192 | +367 |
Russia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 61 | 0 | +61 |
Samoa | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 83.33% | 332 | 193 | +139 |
South Africa | 29 | 5 | 24 | 0 | 17.24% | 324 | 760 | −436 |
Spain | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 48 | 0 | +48 |
Tonga | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 83.33% | 241 | 89 | +152 |
United States |
6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 83.33% | 249 | 96 | +153 |
Uruguay | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 43 | 12 | +31 |
Wales | 130 | 52 | 75 | 3 | 40% | 1435 | 1811 | −376 |
Zimbabwe | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 111 | 33 | +78 |
Total | 747 | 327 | 387 | 33 | 43.78% | 11,169 | 11,567 | −398 |
Players
Current squad
On 16 January 2024, Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend named a 39-player squad for the 2024 Six Nations Championship.[133] On January 21 Ross McCann was called up as cover for Darcy Graham who was ruled out for at least the first two games of the Six Nations through injury. [134] Adam Hastings and Will Hurd withdrew injured on 23rd January with Elliot Millar-Mills called up as cover. [135]
- Caps updated: 16 March 2024
Head coach: Gregor Townsend
Player | Position | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club/province |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ewan Ashman | Hooker
|
3 April 2000 | 17 | Edinburgh |
Johnny Matthews | Hooker
|
5 July 1993 | 1 | Glasgow Warriors |
George Turner | Hooker
|
8 October 1992 | 45 | Glasgow Warriors |
Jamie Bhatti | Prop
|
8 September 1993 | 34 | Glasgow Warriors |
Zander Fagerson | Prop
|
19 January 1996 | 67 | Glasgow Warriors |
Alec Hepburn | Prop
|
30 March 1993 | 4 | Exeter Chiefs |
Elliot Millar-Mills | Prop
|
8 July 1992 | 3 | Northampton Saints |
WP Nel | Prop
|
30 April 1986 | 61 | Edinburgh |
Pierre Schoeman | Prop
|
7 May 1994 | 31 | Edinburgh |
Scott Cummings | Lock
|
3 December 1996 | 38 | Glasgow Warriors |
Grant Gilchrist | Lock
|
9 August 1990 | 71 | Edinburgh |
Richie Gray
|
Lock
|
24 August 1989 | 79 | Glasgow Warriors |
Sam Skinner | Lock
|
31 January 1995 | 35 | Edinburgh |
Glen Young | Lock
|
4 November 1994 | 3 | Edinburgh |
Josh Bayliss | Back row
|
18 September 1997 | 5 | Bath |
Andy Christie | Back row
|
22 March 1999 | 8 | Saracens |
Luke Crosbie | Back row
|
22 April 1997 | 8 | Edinburgh |
Rory Darge (c) | Back row
|
23 February 2000 | 19 | Glasgow Warriors |
Jack Dempsey | Back row
|
12 April 1994 | 20 | Glasgow Warriors |
Matt Fagerson | Back row
|
16 July 1998 | 44 | Glasgow Warriors |
Jamie Ritchie | Back row
|
16 August 1996 | 49 | Edinburgh |
George Horne | Scrum-half
|
12 May 1995 | 30 | Glasgow Warriors |
Ali Price | Scrum-half
|
12 May 1993 | 67 | Edinburgh |
Ben White | Scrum-half
|
27 May 1998 | 22 | Toulon |
Ben Healy | Fly-half
|
29 June 1999 | 5 | Edinburgh |
Finn Russell (c) | Fly-half
|
23 September 1992 | 80 | Bath |
Rory Hutchinson | Centre
|
29 January 1996 | 8 | Northampton Saints |
Huw Jones | Centre
|
17 December 1993 | 48 | Glasgow Warriors |
Stafford McDowall | Centre
|
24 February 1998 | 2 | Glasgow Warriors |
Cameron Redpath | Centre
|
23 December 1999 | 14 | Bath |
Sione Tuipulotu | Centre
|
12 February 1997 | 25 | Glasgow Warriors |
Darcy Graham | Wing
|
21 June 1997 | 39 | Edinburgh |
Ross McCann | Wing
|
30 October 1997 | 0 | Great Britain Sevens |
Arron Reed | Wing
|
10 July 1999 | 0 | Sale Sharks |
Kyle Rowe | Wing
|
8 February 1998 | 4 | Glasgow Warriors |
Kyle Steyn | Wing
|
29 January 1994 | 19 | Glasgow Warriors |
Duhan van der Merwe | Wing
|
4 June 1995 | 39 | Edinburgh |
Blair Kinghorn | Fullback
|
18 January 1997 | 53 | Toulouse |
Harry Paterson | Fullback
|
28 June 2001 | 1 | Edinburgh |
Halls of Fame
Four former Scotland players have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame:
Eight former Scotland players have been inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame:[140]
|
Twenty-three former Scotland players have been inducted into the Scottish Rugby Hall of Fame:[141]
|
Award winners
World Rugby Awards
The following Scotland players have been recognised at the World Rugby Awards since 2001:[142]
|
|
|
Year | Date | Scorer | Match | Tournament |
---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | 4 February | Duhan van der Merwe | vs. England | Six Nations |
Six Nations Player of the Championship
The following Scotland players have been shortlisted for the Six Nations Player of the Championship since 2004:[143]
|
|
|
Year | 1st XV | 2nd XV | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Forwards | Backs | Forwards | Backs | |||||
No. | Players | No. | Players | No. | Players | No. | Players | |
2021 | 7. | Hamish Watson | 11. | Duhan van der Merwe | Not awarded | |||
15. | Stuart Hogg | |||||||
2022 | — | |||||||
2023 | — | 12. | Sione Tuipulotu | 1. | Pierre Schoeman | 10. | Finn Russell | |
13. | Huw Jones | 6. | Jamie Ritchie | 11. | Duhan van der Merwe | |||
2024 | 10. | Finn Russell | Not awarded | |||||
14. | Duhan van der Merwe (2) |
Coaches
Before 1971, there was no appointed coach of the Scotland team, the role being assumed by the captain. In 1971, the SRU appointed the first coach as "adviser to the captain". He was
Robinson took the reins in 2009 after
In August 2016 it was announced that Gregor Townsend would replace Vern Cotter as Scotland head coach in June 2017 when his contract expired.[145]
Name | Tenure | Tests | Won | Drew | Lost | Win % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bill Dickinson | 1971–1977 | 27 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 51.85 |
Nairn McEwan
|
1977–1980 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 7.14 |
Jim Telfer | 1980–1984 | 27 | 13 | 2 | 12 | 48.15 |
Colin Telfer | 1984–1985 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.00 |
Derrick Grant | 1985–1988 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 50.00 |
Ian McGeechan | 1988–1993 | 33 | 19 | 1 | 13 | 57.58 |
Jim Telfer | 1993–1995 | 18 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 38.9 |
Richie Dixon | 1995–1998 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 31.3 |
Jim Telfer | 1998–1999 | 20 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 45 |
Ian McGeechan | 2000–2003 | 43 | 18 | 1 | 24 | 41.86 |
Matt Williams | 2003–2005 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17.65 |
Frank Hadden | 2005–2009 | 41 | 16 | 0 | 25 | 39.02 |
Andy Robinson | 2009–2012 | 35 | 15 | 1 | 19 | 42.86 |
Scott Johnson (interim)
|
2012–2014 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 31.25 |
Vern Cotter | 2014–2017 | 36 | 19 | 0 | 17 | 52.78 |
Gregor Townsend | 2017– | 71 | 39 | 1 | 31 | 54.93 |
*Correct as of 30 August 2023 |
Name | Tests | Won | Drew | Lost | Win % | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ian McGeechan | 76 | 37 | 2 | 37 | 48.68 | |
Gregor Townsend | 71 | 39 | 1 | 31 | 54.93 | |
Jim Telfer | 65 | 29 | 3 | 33 | 44.62 | |
Vern Cotter | 36 | 19 | 0 | 17 | 52.78 | |
Frank Hadden | 41 | 16 | 0 | 25 | 39.02 | |
Andy Robinson | 35 | 15 | 1 | 19 | 42.86 | |
Bill Dickinson | 27 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 51.85 | |
Derrick Grant | 18 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 50.00 | |
Matt Williams | 17 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17.65 | |
Richie Dixon | 16 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 31.3 | |
Scott Johnson (interim)
|
16 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 31.25 | |
Nairn McEwan
|
14 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 7.14 | |
Colin Telfer | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.00 | |
*Correct as of 30 August 2023 |
Current coaching staff
The current Scottish coaching set up:[146][147][148]
Position | Name |
---|---|
Head coach | Gregor Townsend |
Assistant coach (forwards coach) | John Dalziel |
Assistant coach (skills coach) | Peter Horne |
Scrum coach | Pieter De Villiers |
Defence coach | Steve Tandy |
Attack coach | Brad Mooar |
Strength and conditioning coach | Stuart Yule |
Player records
Most caps
Updated 16 March 2024[149]
# | Name | Years | Caps | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ross Ford | 2004–2017 | 110 | Hooker |
2 | Chris Paterson | 1999–2011 | 109 | Full-back |
3 | Sean Lamont | 2004–2016 | 105 | Wing |
4 | Stuart Hogg | 2012–2023 | 100 | Full-back |
5 | Scott Murray | 1997–2007 | 87 | Lock |
6 | Mike Blair | 2002–2012 | 85 | Scrum-half |
7 | Gregor Townsend | 1993–2003 | 82 | Fly-half |
8 | Finn Russell | 2014– | 80 | Fly-half |
9 | Richie Gray | 2010– | 79 | Lock |
10 | Jonny Gray | 2013– | 77 | Lock |
Nathan Hines | 2000–2011 | 77 | Lock | |
Jason White | 2000–2009 | 77 | Back-row |
Most points
Updated 16 March 2024[150]
# | Name | Career | Points | Caps | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Chris Paterson | 1999–2011 | 809 | 109 | Full-back |
2 | Greig Laidlaw | 2010–2019 | 714 | 76 | Scrum-half |
3 | Gavin Hastings | 1986–1995 | 667 | 61 | Full-back |
4 | Finn Russell | 2014– | 382 | 80 | Fly-half |
5 | Andy Irvine | 1972–1982 | 269 | 51 | Full-back |
6 | Dan Parks | 2004–2012 | 266 | 67 | Fly-half |
7 | Kenny Logan | 1992–2003 | 220 | 70 | Wing |
8 | Peter Dods | 1983–1991 | 210 | 23 | Full-back |
9 | Stuart Hogg | 2012–2023 | 171 | 100 | Full-back |
10 | Craig Chalmers | 1989–1999 | 166 | 60 | Fly-half |
Most tries
Updated 16 March 2024[151]
# | Name | Career | Tries | Caps | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Stuart Hogg | 2012–2023 | 27 | 100 | Full-back |
2 | Duhan van der Merwe | 2020– | 26 | 38 | Wing |
3 | Darcy Graham | 2018– | 24 | 39 | Wing |
Ian Smith | 1924–1933 | 24 | 32 | Wing | |
Tony Stanger | 1989–1998 | 24 | 58 | Wing | |
6 | Chris Paterson | 1999–2011 | 22 | 109 | Full-back |
7 | Tommy Seymour | 2013–2019 | 20 | 55 | Wing |
8 | Gavin Hastings | 1986–1995 | 17 | 61 | Full-back |
Huw Jones | 2016- | 17 | 48 | Centre | |
Alan Tait | 1987–1999 | 17 | 27 | Centre | |
Gregor Townsend | 1993–2003 | 17 | 82 | Fly-half |
See also
Men's national teams
Senior
- Scotland national rugby union team
- Scotland A national rugby union team
- Scotland national rugby sevens team
Development
Age grades
- Scotland national under-21 rugby union team
- Scotland national under-20 rugby union team
- Scotland national under-19 rugby union team
- Scotland national under-18 rugby union team
- Scotland national under-17 rugby union team
- Scotland national under-16 rugby union team
Women's national teams
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External links
- Official website
- HISTORY OF RUGBY IN OTHER COUNTRIES
- History of Scottish Rugby on the SRU website
- Massie, Allan (28 January 2003). "The Battling Years". The Scotsman.
- Massie, Allan (29 January 2003). "The age of Telfer". The Scotsman.
- Favourites find Scotland grit hard to swallow: Scotland 18 England 12, The Times, 27 February 2006
- Scottish Rugby Union – the official site of Scottish Rugby
- A song for Scotland – an article on the ongoing discussions about which song should represent Scotland before international rugby and football games. (Sunday Times, 21 November 2004)