Borderers bring 150 caps’ worth of experience to Scottish women’s squad for 2021 Rugby World Cup next month

Scotland women's rugby team head coach Bryan Easson, second from left, pictured with, from left, Borderers Lisa Thomson, Lana Skeldon and Chloe Rollie last month (Photo by Ross MacDonald/SNS Group/SRU)

Borderers Lana Skeldon, Lisa Thomson and Chloe Rollie bring a century and a half of caps’ worth of experience to the Scotland women’s squad for the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup announced today, September 15.

They’re part of a 32-strong squad, made up of 16 forwards and 16 backs, being taken to New Zealand by head coach Bryan Easson to play at the Scots’ first world cup for 12 years.

Flanker Rachel Malcolm continues as captain, with Loughborough Lightning team-mate Helen Nelson as vice-captain.

Easson, 48, said: “Rachel and Helen are both very good leaders and very well respected by the group.

“They speak incredibly well on the field but also off the field.

“We’ve worked hard in trying to grow leaders throughout the whole squad, but to have Rachel and Helen leading the group is fantastic.”Biggar’s Emma Orr is the youngest member of the squad at 19 and Emma Wassell is their most-capped member of the squad, the 27-year-old having 57 international appearances to her name.

That’s only three more than Hawick’s Skeldon, 28, the Worcester Warriors hooker being on 54, and Exeter Chiefs full-back Rollie, 27, and Sale Sharks centre Thomson, 25, aren’t far behind.

Jedburgh’s Rollie has hit 50 and Hawick’s Thomson is on 46.

Easson added: “We are all incredibly excited for the month ahead.

“I think it’s been a long time coming, and it was exactly this time last year that we were in Italy trying to qualify for the world cup so it’s been a year in the making.

“I’m hugely honoured to be naming our squad for the Rugby World Cup, and I’d like to express my gratitude to everyone in the management team who has worked incredibly hard behind the scenes to get us to this point.

“A lot of discussions have been had, a lot of players have been played over the past year as well, so the process around that was to make sure we had the right players going.

“Selection has been tough as the players trained exceptionally hard over the summer, and then obviously getting the players back from the Commonwealth Games has been exciting for us as well.“Everyone should feel incredibly proud of being selected for the tournament and I know the squad and management are ready for the challenge ahead.”

The squad depart for New Zealand on Friday, September 23, ahead of their first pool match against Wales on Sunday, October 9, at Northland Event Centre in Whangarei.

They then face pool A opponents Australia on Saturday, October 15, and reigning champions New Zealand on Saturday, October 22.