“From a quiet, shy, no clue what I’m doing beginner player to gobby fly half, it’s impossible It’s impossible to pick just one woman to highlight when I think about my grassroots rugby journey. Every single person I’ve watched, played with or coached alongside has influenced me in some way.

“Being part of such a supportive squad allowed me to shine while also learning the quirks of the game; making mistakes, learning from them, and growing in an environment that constantly pushed me to improve and aim higher. Now I try to pass those lessons on to newer players and support their journeys from a leadership position.

“Helping coach the girls’ team at Dunfermline and watching them go through the same behaviours and confidence struggles I once had – then seeing them completely overcome those challenges – is something that’s hard to put into words.”

“Seeing some of my former teammates go on to incredible opportunities with Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Women, competing at such a high level, is so exciting not just for me, but for the young girls coming through the ranks. I absolutely love it!”

Elis Martin during a Scotland Women’s Rugby training session at Peffermill Playing Fields, on June 03, 2025, in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Elis Martin, Scotland international

“When I think about the theme of ‘Give to Gain’ I think the women in my life who have given so much to me would be the women in our management and medical team at Scottish Rugby, past and present.

“Just to name a few; Flo, Ellen, Josie, Lara, Morag, Eilidh, Emma, Mhairi and Fiona. These women have lives and commitments of their own, kids and grandkids, but they have had to sacrifice time with them to work with us to make sure that we can succeed in this sport.

“Individually, the support I’ve received from Josie and Flo in particular has been unmatched and you just don’t get care like that anywhere else in the world. The sacrifices and choices they have made to help us perform the way that we do is unbelievable, and no doubt it’s because of that platform they give us to do so. The reason we stand as high as we do is because we stand on their shoulders.”

Emma Orr, Scotland international

“A woman in my life who truly epitomises the ‘Give to Gain’ theme for International Women’s Day is my mum. She is the most incredible woman I know. She works tirelessly on the farm and supports me, my three siblings, and my dad through her constant generosity, strength, and collaboration.

“She’s our Wonder Woman and somehow manages to do it all. She’s always the first person to step in and help others as they work towards their goals. For me, she is my absolute rock, and I know she is that for so many other people too. I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today without her support and inspiration – I’ve always wanted to be like her.”

Kaeli King and her Watsonians teamates celebrate at full-time as they are crowned Sarah Beaney Cup Champions during the Sarah Beaney Cup Final between Hillhead Jordanhill v Watsonian during Silver Saturday at Scottish Gas Murrayfield in 2025.

Kaeli King, Watsonian FC

“Charlotte Runcie was a huge part of the reason I joined the club. I knew her from the sevens circuit, she has such infectious energy. Even though she has retired from playing she has been doing a strength and conditioning programme for the last few seasons for the team, and she does this in her own time. Something I’ll say about her is she always has time for anyone who has a question, or who’s skill level isn’t quite there yet, she wants us all to be better. I really admire how supportive she is of all the women on the team.

“Additionally our physio Fi Robertson, she has been the biggest reason I’ve been able to get back to playing from injuries. Within her role she goes above and beyond for us in terms of working with health professionals, listening to us, giving up her time and weekends. That kind of support in sport is invaluable.”

The post International Women’s Day | Give to Gain appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

With 20 hubs selected for the inaugural programme in 2018, it has expanded year on year, with 57 hubs confirmed across Scotland this year.  

Alastair Chalmers, East Regional Manager at Scottish Rugby said: “Tartan Touch continues to play a significant role in our participation pathway, providing clubs with a flexible and engaging way to grow the game during the summer months. 

“The success of the programme is driven by the dedication of our club volunteers, whose commitment ensures sessions are welcoming, inclusive and accessible to people of all ages and abilities. Through their efforts, Tartan Touch not only introduces new participants to rugby, but also strengthens the connection between clubs and their local communities. 

“We’re looking forward to seeing another strong season as clubs across Scotland once again bring Tartan Touch to life.” 

Sign-ups for sessions will be opening soon, so keep an eye out for more information.  

Full list of Tartan Touch hubs:  

Caledonia: 

• Aberdeen Grammar 

• Deeside Rugby Club 

• Ellon Rugby Club 

• Glen Urquhart Rugby Football Club 

• Peterhead RFC 

• Ross Sutherland 

• Bannockburn Rugby Football Club 

• Carnoustie HSFP Rugby Club 

• Dundee Rugby Club 

• Dunfermline Rugby Club 

• Falkirk Rugby Club 

• Howe of Fife RFC 

• Kinross Rugby Club 

• Kirkcaldy 

• Madras Rugby Club 

• McLaren RFC 

• Panmure RFC 

East: 

• Currie Chieftains 

• Dalkeith RFC 

• Forrester Rugby Club 

• Lasswade RFC 

• Leith Rugby Club 

• Linlithgow Rugby Club 

• Livingston Rugby Club 

• Penicuik Rugby Football Club 

• Portobello RFC 

• Dunbar RFC 

• Duns RFC 

• Gala Rugby Club 

• Haddington RFC 

• Jed Thistle RFC 

• Kelso Rugby Football Club 

• Musselburgh RFC 

• North Berwick RFC 

• Peebles 

• Ross High Rugby Club 

• West Linton Lions RFC

West: 

• Allan Glen’s 

• Cartha Queens Park 

• Dalziel Rugby Club 

• East Kilbride RFC 

• Hillhead Jordanhill RFC 

• Isle of Mull 

• Loch Lomond Rugby Club 

• Strathaven Rugby Club 

• Uddingston Rugby Club 

• Waysiders Drumpellier RFC 

• Whitecraigs Rugby Club 

• Annan Rugby Club 

• Carrick RFC 

• Cumnock RFC 

• Dumfries Saints  

• Irvine Rugby Club 

• Marr RFC 

• Moffat Rugby Club 

• Paisley RFC 

• Stewartry RFC 

The post Tartan Touch returns this summer with hubs confirmed across the country appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

To maintain the credibility of the competition and avoid additional pressure on the playing calendar, Scottish Rugby considered all other options to fulfil the tie and after consultation with the clubs involved and the wider Premiership Forum, subsequently informed Ayr RFC that they will receive a bye and progress to the final.

Vicky Cox, Scottish Rugby’s Head of Competitions and Compliance, said: “At such a vital time in the season, it is important to us to ensure integrity of the competition. We are disappointed by this situation given the weekend in question was an agreed standby weekend, but respect Watsonian FC’s decision to withdraw from the play-off semi-final.”

The Premiership Final will be broadcast, in line with the agreement with BBC Alba, on Saturday 21 March.

Ayr will contest the Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership Final against Currie Chieftains at Millbrae with a 4.10pm kick-off.

The post Watsonian FC withdraw from Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership play-off semi-final appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

After playing against each other at Hive Stadium last Friday, Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby will go head-to-head at Stirling County RFC this Friday 6 March (5pm kick-off).  

This is the second of two fixtures for the pro-aligned teams which forms part of the male youth pathway programme.  

Team sheets are available here.

U18 Pro-Alignment (Girls) 

After playing at Hive Stadium last Friday, Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors U18 Girls will meet again in a youth pathway programme fixture.  

The match will be played at Scotstoun Stadium ahead of Glasgow Warriors’ Celtic Challenge fixture against Edinburgh Rugby (kick-off 4pm).

Players have been selected based on their performances in the Inter-District matches that took place throughout January and February.  

Team sheets are available here.

U16 Inter-District (Boys) 

They U16 Inter-District Boys festival returns to Oriam this Sunday with teams from Glasgow, Edinburgh, South and Caledonia districts all taking part. 

Team sheets are available here.

Fixtures:

Glasgow v South (10:15am kick-off)

Edinburgh v Caledonia (11am kick-off)

Glasgow v Edinburgh (11:45am kick-off)

South v Caledonia (12:30pm kick-off)

Glasgow v Caledonia (1:15pm kick-off)

South v Edinburgh (2pm kick-off)

U16 Inter-District (Girls) 

The second U16 Girls Inter-District fixture gets underway this Sunday 6 March with players from the West and Caledonia facing off at Oriam (3:15pm kick-off).  

Players have been selected from their clubs and schools and their participation in the U15 player development hub programme last season.  

Team sheets are available here.

The post Pro-Alignment and Inter-District fixtures set for this weekend appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

Heriot’s, who had a tough start to the campaign with three back-to-back losses, managed to turn their season around when it mattered most to claim third place with 52 points and nine wins across the 18 rounds.

The Edinburgh sides previously met in Rounds 3 and 12 of the competition where Currie edged a 24-19 win at home and a more convincing 24-39 win away, so with a place in the final at stake, it’s all to play for at Malleny Park this evening.

It’s winner takes all, so both head coaches will be finalising their game plans as we get closer to kick off.

Heriot’s Head Coach, Bob McKillop said: “Having been rooted at the bottom of the league after the first few rounds and having used close to 60 players, we are really happy to have made the semi-finals. It’s a transition year for us with a few ups and downs along the way but I’m really proud of the way the boys have stuck together and gotten us to third place in the league.

“Heriot’s and Currie games are always full-on and physical, and I’d expect this game to be a tense and tough battle. Currie have obviously won both regular season games, but the game at Malleny Park was a close one and hopefully on this occasion we can do one better.”

Currie Chieftains Head Coach, Mark Cairns added: “We’re really pleased for the players, they’ve set themselves a goal at the start of the year to achieve a home semi-final and we’ve done that. They’ve worked hard to achieve that but we’re definitely not stopping there.

“We’re really looking forward to challenging ourselves against Heriot’s this week and gaining ourselves a spot in the final after we came up just short last year. We’ve been working really hard to make sure we give ourselves the best opportunity to fall on the right side of the result against Heriot’s tonight. Our players know that we’ve got a responsibility to inspire as well and hopefully we put a performance that the club and fans are proud of.”

Elsewhere in the Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership this weekend, a win for GHA against Glasgow Hawks means they will leapfrog Watsonians to move into fourth place and secure their first-ever semi-final place which will be played against last year’s champions, Ayr RFC.

Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership fixtures

Friday 27 January
Play Off Semi-final
Currie Chieftains v Heriot’s Rugby Men (7:35pm kick-off)

Saturday 28 January
Glasgow Hawks v GHA RFC (3pm kick-off)

The post Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership Play Off Semi-Final Preview: Currie Chieftains v Heriot’s appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

After playing away against Coventry and Ealing Trailfinders last weekend, Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors U18 Boys will face off at Hive Stadium this Friday 27 February (4pm kick-off).  

This is the first of two fixtures for the pro-aligned teams which forms part of the male youth pathway programme.  

Team sheets are available here.

U18 Pro-Alignment (Girls) 

On Saturday 28 February, Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors U18 Girls will play against each other as part of the youth pathway programme.  

Players have been selected based on their performances in the Inter-District matches that took place throughout January and February.  

The match will be contested at Hive Stadium after Edinburgh Rugby play Clovers in Celtic Challenge (4pm kick-off).  

Team sheets are available here.

U16 Inter-District (Boys) 

Building on the momentum of last weekend’s festival at Oriam, the Inter-District programme returns to Hive Stadium on Sunday 1 March (10:15am kick-off).  

The teams from each district have been selected using modified bio-banding approach, which looks at the physical maturation of players.   

Team sheets are available here.

U16 Inter-District (Girls) 

The first U16 Girls Inter-District fixture gets underway this Sunday 1 March when players from the West and East districts come up against each other at Hive Stadium (3:15pm kick-off).  

Players have been selected from their clubs and schools and their participation in the U15 player development hub programme last season.  

Team sheets are available here.  

Photos by Mark Scates / SNS Group

The post Pro-Alignment and Inter-District teams named for Youth Pathway fixtures appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

The five teams are tightly grouped between 47 and 42 points, leaving the race for a play-off spot wide open. With so little separating them, every result matters – a win, loss, draw, or even a bonus point could dramatically shape how the rest of the season unfolds. 

So, what’s at stake this weekend?  

• Both Heriot’s and Watsonians are currently on 47 points, so if both sides win with a bonus point, they will proceed to the play-offs. If either of these teams fail to acquire the bonus point, that brings Kelso into contention for a play-off spot.   

• If either Heriot’s, Watsonians or Kelso get to 51 points, GHA will miss out on the play-offs.  

• If only one, or no team reaches 51 points then GHA will have the opportunity to grab a play-off spot when they take on Glasgow Hawks on 28 February.  

• For Hawick to join in on the play-off action they would need to get a try bonus win by a significant margin over Heriot’s to overturn the points difference differential for the two teams, while preventing Heriot’s from getting a bonus point, and have other results go in their favour.  

Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership fixtures 

Saturday 21 February: 

Heriot’s Rugby v Hawick RFC (2pm kick-off) 
Glasgow Hawks RFC v Watsonian FC (2pm kick-off) 
Selkirk RFC v Kelso RFC (2pm kick-off) 

The post Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership: Weekend Preview appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

Following last week’s Pro-Alignment fixtures, Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors’ U18 sides travel away to face Coventry and Ealing Trailfinders respectively this Saturday 21 February.  

Edinburgh Rugby U18 & Glasgow Warriors U18 boys team sheets are available here:

• Edinburgh Rugby U18 Boys
• Glasgow Warriors U18 Boys 

U17 Pro-Alignment (Boys) 

Having competed in the first U17 Pro-Alignment festival last weekend against Coventry U17, Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors U17 teams face each other on Sunday (4:30pm kick-off).  

Team sheets are available here.

U16 Inter-District (Boys) 

The Boys’ U16 Inter-District programme gets underway on Sunday with a festival involving two teams from each of the four districts – Caledonia, Edinburgh, South and Glasgow. The teams from each district have been selected using modified bio-banding approach, which looks at the physical maturation of players. 

Similar to systems implemented in football by the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Southampton, the continued pilot of bio-banding will see the use of physical maturation data to help group players into a less and more physically mature team within their districts, allowing coaches to see their players in a different set of parameters. Please read more about Scottish Rugby’s approach in this area here. 

191 players, representing 74 unique clubs and schools are represented across the four districts. 

Team sheets are available here.

Jamie Dempsey, Regional Pathway & Game Development Lead Manager said “The modified bio-banding approach at the U16 boys festival gives coaches a new lens on talent by grouping players according to physical maturation, helping ensure late and on-time developers get seen and challenged appropriately, not just those who are currently biggest or strongest.” 

U16 fixtures:

Glasgow #1 v South #1 (10am kick-off)

Edinburgh #1 v Caledonia #1 (10:30am kick-off)

Glasgow #1 v Edinburgh #1 (11am kick-off)

South #1 v Caledonia #1 (11:30am kick-off)

Glasgow #1 v Caledonia #1 (12pm kick-off)

South #1 v Edinburgh #1 (12:30pm kick-off)

Glasgow #2 v South #2 (1pm kick-off)

Edinburgh #2 v Caledonia #2 (1:30pm kick-off)

Glasgow #2 v Edinburgh #2 (2pm kick-off)

South #2 v Caledonia #2 (2:30pm kick-off)

Glasgow #2 v Caledonia #2 (3pm kick-off)

South #2 v Edinburgh #2 (3:30pm kick-off)

Photos by Mark Scates / SNS Group.

The post Regional Pathway Teams in action this weekend appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

Dwain Patterson got the match underway in Donnybrook and it was Scotland who set the tone by immediately testing the home defence when they opted for a maul off an early lineout.

Powerful carries from Jamie Shedden and captain Blair Macpherson kept Ireland pinned back, and Scotland looked certain to score before Ireland stripped the ball on the try line to keep the scoreboard at 0-0.

Ireland’s breakthrough came in the ninth minute after Conor Kelly’s pinpoint kick found Bobby Sheehan who got the first points of the encounter [7-0, 9 mins].

Scotland’s response was immediate. A slick skip pass from Bobby Beattie released Shedden into space, and he timed his pass perfectly to send Mitchell over the try line [7-5, 11 mins].

Mitchell struck again five minutes later, finishing sharply for his second try. Patterson added the extras this time, giving Scotland a well-deserved lead after a dominant opening display [7-12, 16 mins].

From inside their own half, Aaron Sexton sparked a move that went to Myles Carey before Adam Maher finished for Ireland under the posts. Kelly’s conversion restored their lead [14–12, 23 mins].

A lineout eight metres out and a well-organised maul from Ireland drove Scotland backwards, allowing Sheehan to crash over for his second try [21-12, 29 mins].

Minutes later, Scotland were penalised again. Kelly’s break and powerful carry split the defence created the perfect platform for Ronan Watters to score beneath the posts. The conversion pushed Ireland further clear [28-12, 33 mins].

Ireland continued to be relentless on attack and were awarded for their efforts when Conor Rankin slipped through the defence to set Sheehan up for his hat-trick, running away with the lead going into half-time [35-12, 36 mins].

Half-time: Ireland Club XV 35-12 Scotland Club XV

After failing to capitalise on opportunities in the first half, Scotland came into the second half with renewed purpose. Fraser Renwick’s patience at the maul paid off when Mitchell’s hat-trick edged them back into contention [35-19, 50 mins].

Ireland responded with a sense of authority. Aran Egan did brilliantly to find space and after some impressive footwork, forced his way over the for their fifth try [42-19, 55 mins]

Substitute Archie Barbour made an immediate impact for the men in blue, injecting tempo into the attack, and Gregor Christie capitalised to add his name to the scoresheet just two minutes later [42-26, 57 mins].

Ireland continued to probe the Scottish defence and when it looked like they were about to extend their lead, the try was ruled out after a forward pass, allowing Scotland to reset and refocus with less than twenty minutes on the clock.

With Scotland’s substitutes changing the dynamic of the game and Ireland down to 14 men after exhausting their bench, it was all to play for in the closing stages. Only two tries separated the sides and the visitors sensed opportunity.

Callum Anderson and Sam Wallace detected the space out wide, opening up for for Archie Barbour to score the fifth try and claw back into the game with just minutes left to play [42-33, 78 mins].

Despite their best efforts to keep the contest alive, a knock-on just before the final whistle ended Scotland’s hopes when Sam Owens kicked the ball dead and handed Ireland the victory.

Full-time: Ireland Club XV 42-33 Scotland Club XV

Scotland Club XV: Glenn Bryce (Stirling County RFC, vice-captain), Jamie Shedden (Ayr RFC), Andrew Mitchell (Hawick RFC), Bobby Beattie (Ayr RFC), Ben Pickles (Selkirk RFC); Dwain Patterson (Kelso RFC), Gregor Christie (Currie Chieftains); Jack Dobie (Melrose RFC), Fraser Renwick (Hawick RFC), Struan Cessford (Heriot’s Rugby), Angus Runciman (Melrose RFC), Oscar Baird (Ayr RFC), Ruairidh Leishman (Heriot’s Rugby), Tim Brown, Blair Macpherson (captain, both Ayr RFC).

Replacements: Elliot Young (Heriot’s Rugby) (for Renwick, 50 mins), Jamie Drummond (Ayr RFC) (for Dobie, 50 mins), Dan Gamble (Kelso RFC) (for Cessford, 40 mins), Ruaraidh Hart (Stirling County RFC) (for Baird, 55 mins), Sam Wallace (Heriot’s Rugby) (for Brown, 55 mins), Euan McKirdy (GHA RFC) (for Christie, 60 mins), Callum Anderson (Selkirk RFC) (for Bryce, 60 mins), Archie Barbour (Kelso RFC) (for Pickles, 55 mins).

Ireland Club XV: Conor Rankin, Sean French, Myles Carey, Aran Egan, Aaron Sexton; Conor Kelly, Adam Maher; David Begley, Bobby Sheehan, Luke Masters, Sean Rigney, Fionn Gilbert, Jack Kelleher (captain), Ronan Watters, Bradley Luney.

Replacements: Claytan Milligan, Marcus Hanan, Adam Tuite, Bailey Faloon, David Whitten, Sam Owens, Tadhg Bird, Adam La Grue.

Referee: Cai Lewis (Wales)

Assistant referees: Padraic Reidy and Kevin Beakey (both Ireland)

Player of the Match: Jack Kelleher (Ireland Club XV)

The post Match report: Ireland Club XV 42-33 Scotland Club XV appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

Seven prestigious finals will be decided, including the Sarah Beaney Cup and Scottish Cup, across Hive Stadium and Scottish Gas Murrayfield in what promises to be an unforgettable day for grassroots rugby.

The Sarah Beaney Cup and Scottish Cup will be shown live on BBC ALBA (kick-off TBC). All other matches will be streamed live on Scottish Rugby’s YouTube.

Ticket information and the full schedule for this year’s event will be communicated soon.

You can watch last year’s highlights here.

The post Save the Date: Silver Saturday 2026 appeared first on Scottish Rugby.