Borderers Lisa Thomson, Lana Skeldon and Chloe Rollie in Scotland squad for rugby’s Women’s Six Nations

Lisa Thomson playing in Edinburgh's 35-21 Celtic Challenge win at home to Ireland's Clovers at Edinburgh's Hive Stadium earlier this month (Photo by Ewan Bootman/SNS Group/SRU)

Head coach Bryan Easson’s extended training squad, made up of 18 forwards and 16 backs, will assemble for a training camp next week.

Explaining his squad selection, Easson, 50, said: “After our success in South Africa at WXV2, we are ready to push on with a Six Nations campaign, and it’s exciting to be doing that with new faces in the squad and management team.

“It’s great to bring in a number of experienced players and those whose professional careers have been flourishing in the Allianz Women’s Premiership. Lana Skeldon, Rachel Malcolm, Evie Gallagher and Elliann Clarke have all been real standouts in that competition, alongside newcomer Meg Varley.

Chloe Rollie on the ball for Loughborough Lightning against Leicester Tigers at Leicester's Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium in December (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

“I’m looking forward to seeing this group challenge each other in the run up to the championship.”

Joining Hawick’s Thomson and Skeldon and Jedburgh’s Rollie at next week’s camp are Leah Bartlett, Christine Belisle, Sarah Bonar, Elliann Clarke, Lisa Cockburn, Eva Donaldson, Evie Gallagher, Merryn Gunderson, Rachel Malcolm, Elis Martin, Fiona McIntosh, Rachel McLachlan, Louise McMillan, Alex Stewart, Emma Wassell, Molly Wright, Anne Young, Cieron Bell, Beth Blacklock, Leia Brebner-Holden, Shona Campbell, Nicole Flynn, Coreen Grant, Caity Mattinson, Mairi McDonald, Francesca McGhie, Rhona Lloyd, Helen Nelson, Emma Orr, Meryl Smith and Megan Varley.

Centre Thomson, 26, a member of the British rugby sevens squad, is on 55 caps, with Bristol Bears hooker Skeldon, 30, on 66 caps and Loughborough Lightning full-back Rollie, 28, on 61.

The Scots’ first game is away to Wales on Saturday, March 23, with kick-off at 7pm.

Lana Skeldon playing for Scotland during their WXV 2 match against Japan in South Africa at Cape Town's Athlone Stadium in October (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images via Getty Images)

That’s followed by a visit from France to Edinburgh’s Hive Stadium on Saturday, March 30, and one from England on Saturday, April 13, both 2.15pm kick-offs, then trips to Italy and Ireland on April 20 and 27 respectively, both Saturdays too, the former kicking off at 4.45pm and the latter at 2.30pm.