Hawick’s Stuart Hogg, Darcy Graham and Rory Sutherland picked for Scotland’s Rugby World Cup training squad

Hawick’s Stuart Hogg, Darcy Graham and Rory Sutherland feature in head coach Gregor Townsend’s 41-strong extended training squad, to be cut by eight nearer the time.

Edinburgh winger Graham makes a comeback after missing this year’s Six Nations with a knee injury.

The 25-year-old is currently on 33 caps, with fellow ex-Greens Hogg and Sutherland, both 30, on 100 and 23 respectively.

Seven-times-capped former Southern Knights flanker Rory Darge also returns after injury and ex-Melrose loosehead prop Jamie Bhatti, capped 28 times, gets the nod too.

Only two uncapped players are being called up, Leicester Tigers second-row Cameron Henderson and Glasgow Warriors centre Stafford McDowall.

At the other end of the spectrum experience-wise, Exeter Chiefs full-back Hogg is one of four players set to feature at a third world cup, after those of 2015 and 2019, the others being Willem Nel, Grant Gilchrist and Finn Russell.

Townsend’s squad will assemble for an initial training camp at the end of the month to prepare for warm-up matches against France, Italy and Georgia at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium in July and August and another versus the French away in August.

The cup, being staged in France too, will see Scotland share a pool with current world champions South Africa, Ireland, Tonga and Romania, their first fixture being against the Springboks on Sunday, September 10, in Marseille.

Making up the rest of the squad, to be captained by Jamie Ritchie, are forwards Ewan Ashman, Dave Cherry, Andy Christie, Luke Crosbie, Scott Cummings, Jack Dempsey, Matt and Zander Fagerson, Richie Gray, Stuart McInally, Pierre Schoeman, Javan Sebastian, Sam Skinner, George Turner, Murphy Walker and Hamish Watson, plus backs Jamie Dobie, Chris Harris, Adam Hastings, Ben Healy, George Horne, Huw Jones, Blair Kinghorn, Ali Price, Cameron Redpath, Ollie Smith, Kyle Steyn, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe and Ben White.

Townsend’s squad announcement follows the 50-year-old signing a contract extension to 2026.

“I’m very excited about what this group can do over the next year or two,” said the former Gala and Border Reivers star.

“The players have shown over the last few campaigns that they’re a match for anybody in the world and we can improve. We can further improve the players as individuals but also as a group the more we come together.

“The team have made really good strides over the last 12 months. We’ve just got to keep working to improve over the next 12 months.”