'I am eternally grateful': Netherlands and Scotland A name squads for Amsterdam clash

Rugby Nederland will say goodbye to one of its greatest servants when its women’s team take on a Scotland A in Amsterdam on Saturday.

Dames XV head coach Gareth Gilbert will lead his team for a final time at home this weekend, before leading the team in Hong Kong China in WXV Global Series Challenger fixtures against Samoa, Brazil and Fiji.

At the conclusion of those three weeks, Gilbert will end his 15-year association with the Netherlands to take up a post as head coach of Pretoria Boys High School.

Over the years, Gilbert has served as head coach of the Netherlands Men, Women’s Sevens and has also led the Men’s Under-20s since 2022. In he succeeded Sylke Haverkorn as head coach of the Dames XV. This year he led the team to a second-place finish in the Rugby Europe Championship.

Gilbert said: “I am eternally grateful to Rugby Netherlands for all the opportunities I’ve been given – as a player, a coach, and an administrator within the sport. I’ve had the privilege of working with incredibly driven people at every level of the development pathway.

“The fact that I now have the chance to take the next step in South Africa doesn’t change how much this country and this sport mean to me. The Netherlands will always hold a special place in my heart.”

Scotland A have predominantly named players that work within its Central Programme and National Academy, while other players have been capped at age grade level. The Scotland group is being led by National Academy Manager, Claire Cruikshank.

Team captain Fiona McIntosh, along with Adelle Ferrie and Rianna Darroch have all been capped at Test level.

Claire Cruikshank said: “This is going to be a really valuable opportunity for this group of players to experience what Test rugby is about and to be exposed to this kind of international environment.

“Some of the squad will have experience of that before, whilst it will be a new opportunity for others. The game against the Netherlands will give the squad a real taste of the demands, intensity and physicality of international rugby, and that learning experience will be hugely important in their development and progression.”

Netherlands match day squad v Scotland A

15 Puck van den Akker, 14 Lieve Stallmann, 13 Mariet Luijken, 12 Isa Spoler, 11 Senne Hogg, 10 Jet Metz, 9 Esmee Ligtvoet; 1 Julia Morauw, 2 Alexis Muggleton, 3 Sydney de Weijer, 4 Isa Prins, 5 Inger Jongerius, 6 Femke Boddeke*, 7 Lisa Boot, 8 Linde van der Velden (captain)

Replacements: 16 Supartie van Heerde, 17 Shamira Statie, 18 Brechtje Karst, 19 Noah Demba, 20 Elizabeth Shermer, 21 Gwen van der Schoot, 22 Lisa Egberts, 23 Isa du Pre

Scotland A match day squad v Netherlands

15 Poppy Mellanby, 14 Cieron Bell, 13 Lisa Brown, 12 Holly McIntyre, 11 Bethan Mathieson, 10 Nicole Marlow, 9 Emily Love; 1 Poppy Fletcher, 2 Megan Hyland, 3 Kaylee McHugh, 4 Fiona McIntosh (captain), 5 Adelle Ferrie, 6 Gemma Thomson, 7 Lauryn McGrotty, 8 Merryn Gunderson

Replacements: 16 Aila Ronald, 17 Talei Tawake, 18 Faye Sutherland, 19 Ellie Williamson, 20 Alina Prokopenko, 21 Rianna Darroch, 22 Lucy MacRae, 23 Scarlett Haddow