Ex-Melrose lock Ross Miller appointed as assistant coach for Scotland national women’s rugby team

The 55-year-old takes over from ex-Scottish international Fraser Brown as forwards coach ahead of this year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup in England.

It’s his second stint at coaching the national women’s team after helping out during their 2022 world cup campaign, later moving on to oversee Scotland’s men’s under-18s.

Miller is one of two new appointments, the other being that of Steve Shingler as attack coach, taking over from Matt Banahan.

Welcoming Miller back on board, Easson, 51, said: “Ross has bedded back in with us really well.

“We’ve had a brilliant few weeks as a group with him so far.

“We’ve worked together for a long time and he did a great job with us at the last world cup.

“I think he’s a brilliant addition to the group. He knows the players and the players know him, which helps too.”

Three further ex-Melrose players feature among the 38-strong training squad named by Easson at the end of May – full-back Chloe Rollie, inside-centre Lisa Thomson and hooker Lana Skeldon – ahead of two summer tests and 2025’s world cup.

Their warm-ups, both away, are versus Italy in Viadana on Friday, July 25, and Ireland in Cork on Saturday, August 2.

Come the cup, they’ve got pool games against Wales and Fiji in Manchester on August 23 and 30 and Canada in Exeter on September 6, all 2.45pm kick-offs on Saturdays, as they target qualification for semi-finals in Bristol later in September for the first time since 2006.