Edinburgh's Venter starts for South Africa against Scotlandpublished at 12:33 BST 6 July
12:33 BST 6 July
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Edinburgh prop Boan Venter will start for South Africa in Saturday's Nations Championship match against Scotland in Pretoria.
Venter's inclusion is one of 10 changes made to the starting line-up by head coach Rassie Erasmus following last Saturday's 45-21 win over England in Johannesburg.
The 29-year-old takes over from Ox Nche at loosehead and makes up a new front row with Johan Grobbelaar and Wilco Louw.
In the second row, Cobus Wiese partners Ruan Nortje instead of Pieter-Steph du Toit, who moves to openside flanker, while the retained Paul de Villiers is also joined in the back row by Evan Roos as Cameron Hanekom and Jasper Wiese miss out.
Damian Willemse moves from full-back to centre with Jesse Kriel, with Fassi starting at 15 and Damian Allende dropping out.
Edwill van der Merwe replaces Cheslin Kolbe on the right wing and Canan Moodie does likewise with Kurt-Lee Arendse on the left, having taken over on that side during the England match. Embrose Papier is in at scrum-half for the benched Grant Williams and Handre Pollard replaces Manie Libbok at fly-half.
South Africa: Fassi, Van der Merwe, Kriel, Willemse, Moodie, Pollard, Papier; Venter, Grobbelaar, W Louw, C Wiese, Nortje, De Villiers, PS du Toit, Roos.
Replacements: Wessels, Mchunu, Porthen, Dixon, Tshituka, E Louw, Williams, Horn.
Scotland 'continue to perplex' but a 'great performance'published at 14:01 BST 5 July
14:01 BST 5 July
We asked for your thoughts after Scotland beat Argentina 47-38 in the Nations Championship.
Here's what some of you had to say:
Stuart: A great game to end a great day of rugby. So pleased for the guys scoring on their 50th games and Gregor Hiddleston scoring on debut. Next week will be a step up again but if we play like we did we should hopefully give the Springboks a game.
David: Good win away from home. But let's not get carried away - we are still our own worst enemy - gifted Argentina 14 points in the last 10 minutes because of inaccuracy and poor decision making. This is a chronic problem that has not been addressed.
Euan: I can't overstate how impressed I was with that performance from Scotland. Quite rightly the France performance in the Six Nations is now the benchmark, yesterday wasn't too far off. Our backline clicked without Finn Russell for the first time against a top nation, the forwards were excellent and the set piece worked well. Sione Tuipulotu back to his best, thought he was unreal.
Donald: This team continues to perplex me. They can blow hot and then cold. Great performance from a side that clearly has been training together for a month. Kyle Rowe at full-back is a very interesting option.
'A real step forward' - what the pundits said as Scotland beat Argentinapublished at 22:50 BST 4 July
22:50 BST 4 July
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John Barclay on ITV
Scotland got into the Argentine 22m nine times and scored seven times. That's an outrageous return, you wouldn't even expect that from the top teams.
They had a field day in the wide channels, and that's where Scotland are at their best and when they come to life.
When Scotland have struggled in the last few years, it's the stuff before that.
Scotland dominated the scrum, dominated at maul time and set the foundations for the rest of the game.
Greg Laidlaw on ITV
You can see the learnings Scotland have taken from November. That challenged the leadership a little.
Today, there was a point when Scotland kicked to the corner and backed themselves. They were doing the right things at the right time and there was a collective leadership.
It wasn't just Sione Tuipulotu making decisions on his own. It was a real step forward from this Scotland team.
Lisa Martin on BBC Radio Scotland
It probably put to bed all of the nightmares from November.
It was an assured performance, it was very calm, the exit was no-nonsense.
There were so many good things. There were defensive lapses in November that weren't there; the lineout that was maybe awry in November was arguably one of our strengths; we won the scrum penalties against a team that is usually renowned for its dominance up front.
It was a really good first marker.
Have your say on Scotland's performance via this link
Tuipulotu 'proud of the boys' after clinical Cordoba performancepublished at 22:41 BST 4 July
22:41 BST 4 July
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Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu
"We knew it was going to be pretty similar to what we faced in the autumn and we knew there was going be a point in the game where we had to wrestle back momentum.
"We know our attacking identity, we like to play with the ball, we probably leaked too many points at the end but I'm really proud of the boys' effort today."
On facing South Africa next, he adds: "It's a big challenge, probably the biggest challenge in world rugby.
"We're ready for that and one we really want to test ourselves against the best."
Argentina 38-47 Scotland: What Townsend saidpublished at 22:33 BST 4 July
22:33 BST 4 July
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Scotland boss Gregor Townsend
"We're really proud of the way the players played our game.
"We took a while to get possession but once we got into our rhythm I thought we were tactically very smart. We won the games within the games and I felt our forward pack led very well.
"We know how dangerous Argentina are, defensively we had to be in a good place and generally we were.
"There were not so good moments at the beginning and end of the first half but our work of the ball, finishing off tries was good.
"We're flying overnight to South Africa, a big challenge against the number one team in the world.
"We must have done a lot of things right today, we'll have to do better next week."
Alemanno to earn 100th Argentina cap against Scotland published at 14:45 BST 3 July
14:45 BST 3 July
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Matias Alemanno will earn his 100th Argentina cap when Scotland visit Cordoba in the Nations Championship on Saturday.
The 34-year-old Gloucester lock becomes the nation's fifth centurion and will be joined by two others in the starting home forwards; captain Julian Montoya and Pablo Matera.
The teams last met at Murrayfield in November 2025, with Argentina recovering from 21-0 down to win 33-24.
Montoya and Matera scored tries that day in Edinburgh, along with Harlequins winger Rodrigo Isgro, who again wears the number 14 shirt.
Thomas Gallo, Juan Cruz Mallia, Pedro Rubiolo and Juan Martin Gonzalez are among those missing through injury.
This will be the hosts' first outing of 2026, while Scotland finished third in the Six Nations after beating England, Wales and France.
Argentina are fifth in the world rankings, two places above Scotland.
Scotland were last in Argentina in the summer of 2022, winning one of three Tests.
Scotland captain Tuipulotu wants to 'rid' himself of regretpublished at 10:38 BST 3 July
10:38 BST 3 July
Andy Campbell BBC Scotland
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Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu has been "waiting to play" again ever since Glasgow Warriors' United Rugby Championship semi-final defeat by Bulls and is also keen to address regrets from the autumn.
Tuipulotu captains the Scots against Argentina in the opening summer Test of the Nations Championships series. The Pumas recovered from 21-0 down at half-time to defeat Gregor Townsend's side at Murrayfield in November.
And the British and Irish Lions centre endured the disappointment of missing out on a home final in the URC as South Africa's Bulls triumphed at Murrayfield in June.
"It feels like a long time," Tuipulotu said. "It's important for us to get back on the field.
"You carry these games with you and the first thing that you want to do is get back on the field and I suppose, not reverse it, but give yourself a chance to rid yourself of the feeling."
Speaking specifically about last year's loss to Argentina, the 29-year-old said: "It is important. These conversations have been going on ever since it happened. It's been a big landmark for us.
"There's no hiding from it. It's been a long time since then and I like to think there's been a bit of growth in the group since then as well."
Townsend said November's defeat was still fresh in the mind.
"That was a real painful lesson for us but an important one," he said. "Very valuable in the team we've become over the last six games since we played Argentina.
"The game is full of momentum swings. You've got to notice when these momentum swings first appear and you've got to do something about it.
"Sometimes your biggest growth comes from a defeat and I feel that that was the case against Argentina and now we've got the opportunity to play them to show the team we have become."
World Cup prep 'potentially' starts now for Scotlandpublished at 15:54 BST 2 July
15:54 BST 2 July
Andy Campbell BBC Scotland
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Gregor Townsend says the build-up to next year's World Cup "potentially" starts now for his Scotland squad.
The Scots face Argentina in Cordoba on Saturday (20:10 BST) before further Nations Championships Tests against South Africa in Pretoria and Fiji at Murrayfield.
This series, the autumn fixtures in the same competition and the 2027 Six Nations all come before the World Cup in Australia, which starts next October.
"Potentially," he replied when asked if this summer was the start of World Cup preparation.
"From a coaching perspective, we're watching how the players train when they're on tour, we watch how they're connecting with team-mates off the field.
"Will they be good team-mates during a period of the World Cup when you're away from for a long time?
"This group has that opportunity to show they can play their best rugby for Scotland away from Murrayfield."
And captain Sione Tuipulotu commented: "We don't get the opportunity to play these southern hemisphere teams away from home if it isn't at a World Cup.
"This is the perfect preparation for us a year out from the World Cup to challenge ourselves against the best in their own back yard. It's going to be the reality of the World Cup."
Glasgow drawn with English pair, Edinburgh in Quins' poolpublished at 14:10 BST 1 July
14:10 BST 1 July
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Image caption,
Glasgow Warriors and Josh McKay are in the same pool as URC rivals Leinster
Glasgow Warriors have been drawn in the same Champions Cup pool as Leicester Tigers, Sale Sharks and Leinster while Edinburgh share a Challenge Cup group with Harlequins and Ospreys.
Glasgow are in Pool 1 of their competition with French sides Clermont Auvergne and Section Paloise as well.
For Edinburgh, Georgians Black Lion and French outfits RC Toulon and RC Vannes make up Pool 3.
The pool stages of both competitions start in mid-October, with fixtures still to be confirmed.
New Scotland hookers fit seamlessly - Ashmanpublished at 09:15 BST 1 July
09:15 BST 1 July
Thomas Duncan BBC Sport Scotland
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Scotland's Ewan Ashman says his role has not drastically changed despite being the most experienced hooker in the Nations Championship squad.
Uncapped Glasgow Warriors pair Gregor Hiddleston and Seb Stephen are in line for debuts this summer, with George Turner and Dave Cherry both injured.
Ashman has 14 tries in 35 caps, a record for a Scotland forward, but says competition and camaraderie among the hookers remains the same despite the changes.
"I can't say I've felt like it's shifted too much," he said. "I think everybody, they fit in so seamlessly.
"They're good lads, really good characters and easy to get along with. So we all kind of contribute and push each other.
"They're quality rugby players as well. So they add loads to the group and it's nice to bounce things off them. And I'm excited to see them hopefully get a run out."
Ashman says Scotland have moved on from November's horrible defeat by Argentina, when they ceded a 21-0 lead.
As the squad prepares for the re-match, the 26-year-old, who scored twice in the game, believes that low was a turning point for Scotland.
"We had a lot of conversations on the back of that game and talked about those momentum shifts," the Edinburgh hooker said.
"It ended up being a massive learning for us. And we took a lot of positives out of that and how to deal with that.
"I think that showed in a couple of our Six Nations performances. We're dealing with the momentum swings and you look at those France game and the England game.
"It's made us a better team and it's something we're still working on. But it's definitely improved as a group."
Scotland have 'improved' before Argentina rematchpublished at 09:14 BST 30 June
09:14 BST 30 June
Thomas Duncan BBC Sport Scotland
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Scotland scrum coach Peter De Villiers says Scotland have improved since their chastening defeat by the Pumas at Murrayfield in November.
The inaugural Nations Championship starts on Saturday, with Scotland facing Argentina in Cordoba (20:10 BST).
Last autumn, Scotland raced in a 21-0 lead against the Pumas, but a second-half collapse delivered a 33-24 defeat at Murrayfield.
De Villiers says the side have learned from that, as wins over England, France and Wales in the Six Nations proved.
"Managing the back end of the game, working with momentum swings in a better way - we took those learnings into the Six Nations and there was good growth with regard to that," he said.
"So we're looking forward to a re-match with Argentina, having I think improved on the stuff we needed to improve on."
After facing Argentina, Scotland travel straight to Pretoria to face world champions South Africa as part of a daunting campaign that ends with Fiji visiting Murrayfield on 18 July.
"It's a different type of competition and different type of tour, immediately going into games against number five and number one in the world in their home countries," De Villiers said.
"There is definitely an edge which everyone is enjoying and looking forward to. We hope for a good prep this week and set us up for Saturday and the rest of the games.
"It's over two campaigns, which means we need to start strongly and build into something over this month before November. It's exciting."
Scotland international Wright retires published at 16:42 BST 24 June
16:42 BST 24 June
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"My heart isn't quite ready," says Scotland international Molly Wright as she retires from professional rugby.
New Zealand-born hooker Wright won 27 caps and represented Scotland at two World Cups.
The 35-year-old former Watsonians player spent the past four seasons at Sale.
"At the end of the season, I hung up my boots. My body is delighted, but my heart isn't quite ready," said Wright.
"Thank you to Scotland, my team-mates, coaches, management team, and the fans for an incredible journey filled with friendships, lessons, and unforgettable moments.
"My time in the game may be over, but I'll keep the stories forever. On to the next chapter. See you in the stands."
Dobie signs long-term contract at Glasgow Warriorspublished at 18:20 BST 23 June
18:20 BST 23 June
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Scotland scrum-half Jamie Dobie has committed to a new "long-term contract extension" with Glasgow Warriors.
The 25-year-old, who can also operate on the wing, is one game away from making his 100th appearance for the club, having been at Scotstoun for seven years.
Inverness-born Dobie said: "It's a brilliant environment here, and spending every day surrounded by world class players, coaches and staff makes it the best place for me to keep developing as a player.
"We've got an exciting, ambitious group here and I'm really looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together over the next few years."
Capped 14 times, Dobie made his Scotland debut in October 2021, coming off the bench in a win over Tonga at Murrayfield.
"Jamie has shown consistent growth during his time with the club and continues to develop as a player and a leader," said Warriors head coach Franco Smith.
"His versatility and understanding of our game are important attributes, as is his willingness to work hard every day and set a positive example for those around him."
Scottish Rugby increases women's pro contracts by 12published at 15:05 BST 12 June
15:05 BST 12 June
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Scottish Rugby has increased its number of professionally contracted women players by 12 to 47 for the 2026-27 season.
Of those, 35 will be based in Scotland, representing Edinburgh or Glasgow Warriors in the Celtic Challenge competition.
Last season, there were 18 supported players based in Scotland, alongside 14 emerging talent players, but operating through local amateur clubs.
Scotland head coach Sione Fukofuka to Scottish Rugby's website: "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.
"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 [English Premiership] and in France.
"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."
Non-Scotland based supported players
Leah Bartlett and Rhona Lloyd (Sale Sharks), Sarah Bonar (Harlequins), Evie Gallagher, Lana Skeldon and Meryl Smith (all Bristol Bears), Rachel Malcolm, Francesca McGhie, Lisa Thomson, Lisa Thomson and Emma Wassell (Trailfinders Women), Rachel McLachlan (Montpellier), Helen Nelson (unattached).
Players supported in Scotland
Glasgow Warriors: Gemma Bell, Holland Bogan, Becky Boyd, Elliann Clarke, Rhea Clarke, Rianna Darroch, Nicole Flynn, Fi McIntosh, Holly McIntyre, Lucia Scott, Evie Wills, Anne Young.
Townsend interview & squad discussed on latest podcastpublished at 11:57 BST 10 June
11:57 BST 10 June
In the latest BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast, there is an extended interview with Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend after he named his squad for this summer's matches against Argentina, South Africa and Fiji.
Also, Thomas Duncan and former Scotland women captain Lisa Martin discuss Townsend's 36-man squad.
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