2025 summer tour dates for Scottish national rugby team confirmed

Head coach Gregor Townsend’s touring team will also play tests against Fiji and Samoa.

Their itinerary kicks off with a game against the Maori All Blacks on Saturday, July 5, in Whangarei on New Zealand’s North Island.

That’ll be their first meeting since an 18-15 defeat for the Scots in New Plymouth, also on North Island, in June 2000, with Ian McGeechan as head coach, and only their third ever, the other one being a 24-8 loss at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium in November 1998, with Melrose’s Jim Telfer in charge.

They go on to play the Fijians on Saturday, July 12, in Suva, that being their first game in Fiji for eight years.

Their most recent match against the South Pacific islanders was a 57-17 win for ex-Gala star Townsend’s side at Murrayfield in November, with Hawick’s Darcy Graham scoring four tries and Huw Jones at the double, Kyle Rowe and Duhan van der Merwe also touching down. Scotland wrap up their three-date tour on Friday, July 18, versus Samoa in Auckland on New Zealand’s North Island.

Their last game against the Samoans was a 34-0 victory for Townsend’s team during 2019’s Rugby World Cup in Japan, thanks to tries from Sean Maitland and Jedburgh’s Greig Laidlaw, two penalty tries, a penalty and two conversions from Laidlaw and a drop-goal kicked by Hawick’s Stuart Hogg.

Looking ahead to going on tour, Townsend, 51, said: “It’s the first time since 2000 that we’ve been to New Zealand, and spending time in a country with such a deep rugby culture is a unique and special experience.

“There are players and coaches within our group who have never been there before and I know they are looking forward to the opportunity, as well as the challenges we will face on tour.

"Playing against the Maori All Blacks will be a proper introduction to New Zealand rugby and they will provide a strong test, especially in the contact area.

“Fiji have shown over the past few seasons that they are a rising force in world rugby and will relish the chance of playing a Six Nations country at home.

“We will be challenged in attack and defence, as well as very different weather conditions to those that we are used to in the northern hemisphere.

“Finally, Samoa are one of the most physical teams in world rugby with how hard they hit in the tackle.

“They were very competitive at the world cup in 2023 and secured an impressive win over Italy last summer.

“Playing at Eden Park is a wonderful opportunity for both teams and it will be a great setting to end our tour of the South Pacific.”

As with last summer’s tour of Canada, the USA and South America, Townsend is expecting to field a few unfamiliar faces, saying: “With the Lions tour happening at the same time, I’m expecting that we will have to call up some players that weren’t involved in the Six Nations, but it will be an experienced group overall that we are planning to take out on tour as we know these are three very tough games for us.”

In UK time, kick-off will be at 4.35am at Whangarei’s Semenoff Stadium, 4am at Suva’s HFC Bank Stadium and 9.05am at Auckland’s Eden Park.