News

Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025: Scotland v Wales

Venue: Salford Community Stadium Date: Saturday, 23 August Kick-off: 14:45 BST

Wales co-captain Alex Callender has been passed fit to face Scotland in Wales’ Rugby World Cup opener on Saturday.

The influential back-rower had been a doubt after injuring her ankle against Australia earlier this month.

She leads a side showing five personnel and one positional switch from their second Test defeat in Sydney.

Callender joins co-captain Kate Williams and Bethan Lewis in an unchanged back row.

Alaw Pyrs comes in at lock alongside Gwen Crabb, while Donna Rose and Kelsey Jones are selected in the front row with Gwenllian Pyrs.

Lleucu George is preferred at 10 to Kayleigh Powell and resumes her half-back partnership with Keira Bevan, while Hannah Dallavalle returns to the midfield with Courtney Keight.

Rachel Malcolm will lead Scotland and will be joined in the back row by Rachel McLachlan and Evie Gallagher who will make her World Cup debut.

Sarah Bonar returns to the starting XV to partner Emma Wassell, while in the front row Lana Skeldon – Scotland’s most capped player with 81 caps – starts at hooker between Leah Bartlett and Elliann Clarke.

Helen Nelson partners Leia Brebner-Holden in the half-backs, with centres Lisa Thomson and Emma Orr continuing their midfield partnership.

Scotland: Chloe Rollie; Rhona Lloyd, Emma Orr,Lisa Thomson, Francesca McGhie; Helen Nelson, Leia Brebner-Holden; Leah Bartlett, Lana Skeldon,Elliann Clarke, Emma Wassell, Sarah Bonar, Rachel Malcolm (capt), Rachel McLachlan, Evie Gallagher

Replacements: Elis Martin, Molly Wright, Lisa Cockburn, Jade Konkel, Eva Donaldson, Alex Stewart, Caity Mattinson, Beth Blacklock.

Wales: Nel Metcalfe; Lisa Neumann, Hannah Dallavalle, Courtney Keight, Jasmine Joyce-Butchers; Lleucu George, Keira Bevan; Gwenllian Pyrs, Kelsey Jones, Donna Rose, Alaw Pyrs, Gwen Crabb, Kate Williams (co-capt), Bethan Lewis, Alex Callender (co-capt).

Scotland vs. Wales Rugby World Cup: Women’s World Cup

As they prepare to face Wales in their opening match of the Women’s Rugby World Cup on Saturday, Scotland, according to head coach Bryan Easson, have “pushed aside” the off-field issues that have plagued their preparation.

In the weeks leading up to the tournament, there has been a contentious contract negotiation between the players and Scottish Rugby, which has led to friction.

The departing coach claims that the problems have not prevented his team from accomplishing their goals.

Easson remarked, “We’ve put it off.” This Rugby World Cup has kept our attention,” he continued.

It’s this game, not anything else, because we’re not looking at anything that has come before or is coming after. We could fail if we ignore this game.

“The focus has therefore been on analysing the opposition, and this is what we’re going to do.” The focus is entirely on Scotland vs. Wales in the World Cup match.

Lana Skeldon, a seasoned hooker, has been assessed for Saturday’s game against Wales at Salford City Stadium.

The 31-year-old is recovering from her ankle injury from her three-week absence from Scotland’s final warm-up game against Ireland.

Although her World Cup participation was uncertain, Elliann Clarke and Leah Bartlett, Scotland’s 32-man squad’s most capped player, makes her debut in the front row.

Evie Gallagher will make her Rugby World Cup debut while Sarah Bonar and Emma Wassell will join them in the second row, while Rachel Malcolm, captain, and openside Rachel McLachlan are joined in the back row.

Leia Brebner-Holden, who will play at half-back with fly-half Helen Nelson, will join her in the tournament, while Emma Orr and Lisa Thomson, who are the center, will continue their midfield partnership.

In the Pool B game against a side with whom Scotland and Francesca McGhie are in a fierce conflict, full-back Chloe Rollie will face wingers Rhona Lloyd and Francesca McGhie, who made their World Cup debut.

With experienced pair Jade Konkel and Molly Wright serving as the pack replacements, coach Bryan Easson chose to play the bench at 6: 2.

Alex Callender, who lost her ankle against Australia earlier this month, has been assessed fit for a match against Scotland.

After their second Test defeat in Sydney, the powerful back-rower leads a side that has five players and one positional change.

In recent years, Scotland and Wales have engaged in a number of close fights, most notable of which was won by Kiera Welsh in the 84th minute with a penalty in the 80th minute.

Scotland captain Malcolm claims her team can’t afford to enter the game with that mindset, despite the common expectation that the most recent meeting will turn the tables once more.

We can’t just assume that everything will be the same again, Malcolm said.

“That self-fulfilling prophecy will be here. So what we want to accomplish is all that we can concentrate on.

We’ve been very clear about our plans for a game against Wales and what we can influence in the last few weeks. And that’s all we can do, in my opinion, at that precise moment. And I’m very hoping for a tight game as well as a seesaw battle.

Chloe Rollie, Rhona Lloyd, Emma Orr, Lisa Thomson, Francesca McGhie, Helen Nelson, Leia Brebner-Holden, Leah Bartlett, Lana Skeldon, Elliann Clarke, Emma Wassell, Sarah Bonar, Rachel Malcolm, Rachel McLachlan, and Evie Gallagher are all listed.

Women’s Rugby World Cup: Scotland v Wales

Lana Skeldon has been passed fit for Scotland’s opening game of the Women’s Rugby World Cup against Wales on Saturday at Salford City Stadium.

The 31-year-old hooker has recovered from the ankle injury she suffered in Scotland’s final warm-up match against Ireland three weeks ago.

Her World Cup participation had been in doubt but the most capped player in Scotland’s 32-player squad starts in the front row between props Leah Bartlett and Elliann Clarke.

Sarah Bonar returns to the starting line-up to partner Emma Wassell in the second row while captain Rachel Malcolm is joined in the back row by openside Rachel McLachlan and number eight Evie Gallagher, who will make her Rugby World Cup debut.

Scrum-half Leia Brebner-Holden is also poised for her first appearance in the tournament and will form the half-back pairing with fly-half Helen Nelson, while centres Lisa Thomson and Emma Orr continue their midfield partnership.

Full-back Chloe Rollie will line up between wingers Rhona Lloyd and another World Cup debutant, Francesca McGhie, in the Pool B game against a side with whom Scotland have a fierce rivalry.

Chloe Rollie, Rhona Lloyd, Emma Orr, Lisa Thomson, Francesca McGhie, Helen Nelson, Leia Brebner-Holden, Leah Bartlett, Lana Skeldon, Elliann Clarke, Emma Wassell, Sarah Bonar, Rachel Malcolm, Rachel McLachlan, Evie Gallagher.

To increase Premier League spending this summer, Leeds United have signed Milan AC striker Noah Okafor for an undisclosed sum of £18 million.

The Swiss international has signed a four-year deal with the Premier League.

The 25-year-old joins Leeds for the ninth time in the summer following their promotion to the top flight.

Premier League clubs have now spent £2.36 billion in the summer of 2023, more than the previous record for the same window.

Before joining Milan on a five-year deal in 2023, the Swiss spent time at Basel and RB Salzburg.

The total spent by Premier League clubs this summer is now £2.37 billion, according to FootballTransfers.com’s data. Okafor’s arrival at Elland Road adds up to that figure.

In this time, six Premier League clubs have broken their club transfer records, helping to fuel the record amount of money spent.

Bournemouth’s $ 34.75 million signing of Burkinabe Dango Ouattara from Bournemouth, who had previously spent $ 34.64 million on French centre-back Bafode Diakite, was completed by Brentford.

Lesley Ugochukwu and Habib Diarra, both of whom are now promoted, have been paid £25 million and £26 million, respectively, in exchange for their complementary contracts at Burnley and Sunderland. Their combined spending could reach £30 million.

This summer, Nottingham Forest broke their transfer record with the arrival of Omari Hutchison from Ipswich for £37.5 million, first for Dan Ndoye from Bologna, and then for Dan Ndoye from Switzerland.

Florian Wirtz was signed by Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for a guaranteed sum of £100 million and additional sums of £16 million in additions in June.

If those additions were made, Wirtz’s arrival at Anfield would break the previous record for the country, surpassing the £107 million Chelsea paid Benfica for Enzo Fernandez in 2023.