Scotland aiming to cash in on growth of elite competition
“It’s not a case of the Scottish girls being there to make up the numbers.”
Bryan Easson, the Scotland women’s assistant coach, is alluding to those in his squad who have moved south of the border to play in the Tyrrells Premier 15s.
Such is the continued growth of England’s top-flight women’s rugby competition that the domestic game in Scotland has plateaued. Five Scottish players joined Darlington Mowden Park Sharks last summer, while Chloe Rollie and Lisa Martin also left Lille in France’s high-profile Top 8 league to join Harlequins and Saracens respectively. “They’re rubbing shoulders with some of the best in the world,” Easson added. “Chloe Rollie has come on a lot at Harlequins. It’s a different style, it’s a different way of playing which is a good education for us.”
Coupling that Scottish invasion are the “2021 contracts” the Scottish Rugby Union has drawn up for 10 of its players. These constitute either direct monetary support for players or a partnership agreement with their work, which allows them to train full-time.
That eight of the 10 represent Premier 15s clubs underlines the growth of the domestic game in England.
The Rugby Football Union launched the competition in 2017 to expand the player pool for its own national side, but Scotland are benefiting too.
In recruiting new head coach Philip Doyle – who guided Ireland to the Grand Slam in 2013 and became the first coach of any Irish national side to beat New Zealand (when Ireland women did so in the pool stages at the 2014 World Cup) – the SRU’s clear-cut ambition to qualify for next year’s World Cup could not be more obvious.
“We’ve made strides without a doubt,” Easson said. “The infrastructure and support in the background has been excellent. We’ve got full-time staff, not just players. We’re now working with a management team of 10. The RFU have performed admirably over the years and are in the position that they are now because of what they’ve put in.”
There is hope that the increased level of investment will help to improve results.
Scotland’s last victory in the Six Nations came in a 15-12 win over Ireland in March 2018. In the past 10 editions of the tournament they have failed to reach double figures in crossing the whitewash and have ended up with the wooden spoon in seven of the past nine championships.
The likelihood of a victory against England, the Six Nations champions, at Scotstoun today is seemingly waferthin, but for Easson and Doyle, it is a chance to gauge their squad’s ability. “Playing against England, you’re going against some of the world’s best play- ers,” said Easson.
“It is going to give us an idea of how far we have progressed. It does give us an idea about areas we are pushing hard on or areas we need to work on. In any performance sport, you have to pit yourselves against the best to see how you’re progressing.”
The real litmus test will not be Scotland’s encounter with the Red Roses – or even how they fare in this tournament – but their European World Cup qualifier in September, which will also feature Ireland, Italy and the winners of the 2020 Rugby Europe Women’s Championship.
“We’re in a season building up towards that World Cup qualifier,” Easson said. “We’ve got a bit of a new regime and new ways of playing. Performance-wise, it’s not going to happen overnight. There’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes, but we really want to compete.” bench in last week’s victory over England and is a former France Under-20 captain, having led the side to their second consecutive Under-20 World Championship title last summer in Argentina.
Vakatawa, the in-form Racing 92 centre, injured a tricep against England and was always a doubt for the game against the Azzurri.
“Vincent is a player with a perfect career: he is part of the generation of the world champion under-20, captain last year,” coach Fabien Galthie said after naming his side, with Vincent the