Ahead of the inaugural WXV2, which starts this week, Bryan Easson has named a very similar squad to the one that so impressed during this year’s 6 Nations, with just four players brought in to replace eight who will be left at home for the autumn.
Rachel Malcom retains the captaincy, with Helen Nelson remaining the vice-captain.
Returning sevens stars Rhona Lloyd and Lisa Thomson are joined by the uncapped forwards duo of Demi Swann and Fiona McIntosh. Swann, a loosehead currently plying her trade with Worcester Warriors in the Premiership Women’s Rugby, is a former wrestler from Canada who qualifies for Scotland through her mother from Troon.
McIntosh has been around the fringes of the squad for a while now, but wanted to finish university before committing to the time demands of international rugby. She has been with Saracens since signing for them in 2020. She represented England at U20s level. Saracens head coach Alex Austerberry described her as “A very mobile player with a great capacity to work and a very competent lineout operator”.
There was a third uncapped player in the squad, 20-year-old centre/wing Holly McIntyre. She was included in the 6 Nations squad this year but did not play and has had some game time with the Scottish development team The Thistles earlier this year, where she scored in the first match of the Celtic Challenge in the narrow loss to the WRU Development XV.
The most notable omission from the original was 50 cap veteran stand-off Sarah Law, who while named in the 6 Nations squad this year, did not play in the competition, with Nelson and Smith picked ahead of her.
It was announced last week that McIntyre suffered a knee injury in training and Law took her place in the squad, flying out to South Africa with them on the 5th.
Club Breakdown:
5 from Loughborough Lightning
5 from Worcester Warriors
4 from Leicester Tigers
4 from Saracens
2 from Harlequins
2 from Bristol Bears
2 from GB 7s
2 from Sale Sharks
1 from Exeter Chiefs
1 from Edinburgh University
1 from the DMP Sharks
1 from Heriots
KEPT since 6 Nations (26)
Leah Bartlett (Leicester Tigers)
Christine Belisle (Loughborough Lightning)
Sarah Bonar (Harlequins)
Elliann Clarke (Bristol Bears)
Lisa Cockburn (University of Worcester Warriors)
Eva Donaldson (Leicester Tigers)
Evie Gallagher (University of Worcester Warriors)
Jade Konkel-Roberts (Harlequins)
Rachel Malcolm (Loughborough Lightning, capt)
Elis Martin (Leicester Tigers)
Rachel McLachlan (Sale Sharks)
Louise McMillan (Saracens)
Lana Skeldon (University of Worcester Warriors)
Emma Wassell (Loughborough Lightning)
Anne Young (Sale Sharks)
Beth Blacklock (Saracens)
Coreen Grant (Saracens)
Caity Mattinson (University of Worcester Warriors)
Mairi McDonald (Exeter Chiefs)
Francesca McGhie (Leicester Tigers)
Liz Musgrove (Ealing Trailfinders)
Helen Nelson (Loughborough Lightning)
Emma Orr (Heriot’s/Biggar)
Chloe Rollie (Loughborough Lightning)
Meryl Smith (Bristol Bears)
IN for WXV2 (4)
Fiona McIntosh (Saracens)*
Demi Swann (University of Worcester Warriors)*
Rhona Lloyd (GB Sevens)
Lisa Thomson (GB Sevens)
OUT since 6 Nations (8)
Fiona Cooper
Erinn Foley
Panashe Muzambe
Lyndsay O’Donnell
Emma Turner
Jodie Rettie
Rhea Clarke
Sarah Law
Evie Wills
INJURED
Shona Campbell (GB Sevens)
Jenny Maxwell
Molly Wright
* Means uncapped
