Scotland aim to create 'strongest possible future' with player contract expansion

Scottish Rugby’s plan to have the majority of the country’s top female players plying their trade north of the border going forward is now well and truly underway after the governing body revealed their contracting model for 2026/27.

In the 2025/26 contracting period 35 players were under contract, but just 18 of them based in Scotland.

Fast forward to now, and Scottish Rugby’s head of women’s performance and pathways Andy Rhys Jones has announced that 47 players in total will be contracted in the coming season. This will include 35 based at ‘home’ and linked to either Edinburgh Rugby or Glasgow Warriors.

Of this 35, 13 internationals in the shape of Gemma Bell, Leia Brebner-Holden, Becky Boyd, Elliann Clarke, Rhea Clarke, Coreen Grant, Elis Martin, Fi McIntosh, Emma Orr, Rachel Philipps, Lucia Scott, Evie Wills and Anne Young have been enticed to Scotland from England’s Premiership Women’s Rugby.

With Chloe Rollie and uncapped centre Holly McInytre relocation from France’s AXA Élite 1 Féminine, that is 15 talents giving up life in two of the world’s top leagues to play in the Celtic Challenge.

The exact plan for the Celtic Challenge for the coming season is yet to be announced, but there is no doubt that Edinburgh and Glasgow will be much better off than they were in the campaign just gone, as they finished fifth and sixth as the Irish and Welsh sides outgunned them.

Ireland have certainly used the Celtic Challenge to fuel the international team in recent years, and it seems to be working for them while Wales are also now seeing players return to Celtic Challenge sides.

Question marks still remain over the quality of the Celtic Challenge competition compared to the PWR, especially and whether performances in the former can help Scotland’s top players push for British & Irish Lions Women’s selection, remains to be seen.

However, there are lots of moving parts here and, of course, the PWR is considering expanding the nine-team league with clubs from outside of England in the future, and Scottish Rugby have formally lodged an expression of interest.

That will not happen right away, but players moving to Edinburgh and Glasgow will have been given some assurances about the future direction of travel as they will want to continue to play at as high a standard of rugby as possible.

Where the Arnold Clark Premiership clubs – and others in the lower domestic leagues – fit into the bigger picture also remains to be seen.

All of that is for another day though and, for now, Scottish Rugby are just pleased with the new contracting model they have managed to put in place.

Of the 47 players contracted, 25 will be ‘Players Supported in Scotland’ and 10 will be ‘Academy Contracted Players’. The other 12 players are ‘Non-Scotland Based Supported Players’, with that group continuing to play their domestic rugby in England and France.

From the 35 players contracted last year, Adelle Ferrie, Emily Norval and Sky Phimister are not on the new list, while Leah Bartlett, Gemma Bell, Becky Boyd, Rhea Clarke, Rianna Darroch, Coreen Grant, Bethan Mathieson, Fi McIntosh, Holly McIntyre, Cat Moody, Rachel Philipps, Lucia Scott, Aicha Sutcliffe, Faye Sutherland and Evie Wills have all been added.

Of the players who played in the recent Guinness Women’s Six Nations for Scotland, Shona Campbell, Hollie Cunningham, Eva Donaldson, Louise McMillan and Demi Swann are not on the new list, but that is likely to be down to personal circumstances more than anything else.

With WXV Global Series fixtures fast approaching in September, players who are selected for Scotland women are remunerated separately through the National Team Agreement irrespective of any Scottish Rugby contract or support they may receive.

Andy Rhys Jones said: “Moving into a new Rugby World Cup cycle, this model is about creating the strongest possible future for the women’s game in Scotland and national team success.

“The increase in contract numbers and a move to players in Scotland being contracted to the professional clubs will see more players have the opportunity to develop in high performance environments and have a clear goal to build a competitive domestic system that supports success on the international stage.

“We recognise the significant value in the experiences gained by players in external competitions – where some critical players will continue their development – but our ambition is to strengthen the game in Scotland and create a performance system built around our two professional clubs and central programmes that allow us attract, develop and retain our top players.

“Bringing experienced international players together with the next generation of talent will help raise standards, accelerate development and strengthen the depth of our player pool in Scotland.

“Our focus continues to be establishing an aligned system and will continue to make announcements around how we intend to grow our performance system as we move into season 2026/27.”

National team head coach Sione Fukofuka, who was part of the panel along with Andy Rhys Jones and Scottish Rugby performance director David Nucifora who made the contracting decisions, is looking forward to having more of the players who will be in contention for selection by him in 2026/27 based north of the border.

With 17 players with Edinburgh and 18 with Glasgow it means that Fukofuka and his coaching team will have more time on task with many of them moving forward. That will be vital after the recent Women’s Six Nations campaign – albeit an injury ravaged one – garnered just one win.

“This model brings a clearer alignment between our domestic system and international programme which is essential as we build towards the 2029 Rugby World Cup,” the head coach stated.

“It’s a real positive to have more players training and playing in Scotland within a consistent high performance environment while still recognising the value that some gain from competing in the PWR in England and in the top flight in France.

“What is integral to the model is the quality and depth we’re developing across the programme.

“Having more of our international players based in Scotland also creates greater opportunities for shared learning, stronger connections across the squad and a more cohesive approach led by me and the coaching staff that can directly support success at national team level.

“We have experienced internationals training and competing alongside against developing players in the Scotland pathway system, consistently challenging and pushing standards from within the high performance daily training environments. This will be a key component to how we grow and perform over the coming years.”

Scottish Rugby’s contracted female players for 2026/27

Non-Scotland Based Supported Players

Leah Bartlett – Sale Sharks
Sarah Bonar – Harlequins
Evie Gallagher – Bristol Bears
Rhona Lloyd – Sale Sharks
Rachel Malcolm – Trailfinders Women
Francesca McGhie – Trailfinders Women
Rachel McLachlan – Montpellier
Helen Nelson – TBC
Lana Skeldon – Bristol Bears
Meryl Smith – Bristol Bears
Lisa Thomson – Trailfinders Women
Emma Wassell – Trailfinders Women

Players Supported in Scotland

Gemma Bell – Glasgow Warriors
Leia Brebner-Holden – Edinburgh Rugby
Holland Bogan – Glasgow Warriors
Becky Boyd – Glasgow Warriors
Elliann Clarke – Glasgow Warriors
Rhea Clarke – Glasgow Warriors
Emily Coubrough – Edinburgh Rugby
Rianna Darroch – Glasgow Warriors
Nicole Flynn – Glasgow Warriors
Coreen Grant – Edinburgh Rugby
Merryn Gunderson – Edinburgh Rugby
Elis Martin – Edinburgh Rugby
Fi McIntosh – Glasgow Warriors
Holly McIntyre – Glasgow Warriors
Emma Orr – Edinburgh Rugby
Rachel Philipps – Edinburgh Rugby
Molly Poolman – Edinburgh Rugby
Hannah Ramsay – Edinburgh Rugby
Chloe Rollie – Edinburgh Rugby
Aila Ronald – Edinburgh Rugby
Lucia Scott – Glasgow Warriors
Alex Stewart – Edinburgh Rugby
Hannah Walker – Edinburgh Rugby
Evie Wills – Glasgow Warriors
Anne Young – Glasgow Warriors

Academy Contracted Players

Ceitidh Ainsworth – Glasgow Warriors
Poppy Fletcher – Glasgow Warriors
Megan Hyland – Glasgow Warriors
Bethan Mathieson – Edinburgh Rugby
Poppy Mellanby – Glasgow Warriors
Cat Moody – Edinburgh Rugby
Imogen Spence – Glasgow Warriors
Aicha Sutcliffe – Glasgow Warriors
Faye Sutherland – Edinburgh Rugby
Talei Tawake – Edinburgh Rugby