Scotland Club International and Currie head coach, Ally Donaldson, recently announced an initial training squad of 35 players for the Scotland Club International side.
The powerful in-form forwards of both Currie and Ayr dominate the selection up front with almost half coming from the two sides that currently top Scottish Hydro Premier One, while Melrose and Dundee provide two-thirds of the Club International back-line.
The club select will now gather for two squad sessions in preparation for their 2010 internationals against France at Netherdale (Friday 5 February, kick-off 7.30pm) and Ireland away (Friday 19 March, location and kick-off tbc) however the coaches will get the chance to see a number of the players in action together before they take to the field for Scotland.
A remarkable run of representative rugby kicks off in the New Year, with Scotland teams of all levels and ages in action, and all games are FREE ENTRY!
First up, it’s the cream of club rugby as the Club International team gathers to take on their French counterparts at Netherdale in Gala. Scotland under-20 face two stiff tests in the shape of France and England as part of their 6 Nations Championship, playing their home games in Inverness and at Firhill, respectively.
Scotland Women will be making themselves at home at Lasswade, also taking on France and England as they look to build towards the Rugby World Cup next summer. Scotland under-19 have a date in the West, with a formidable young French team and will be hoping for a big welcome at Braidholm, in Glasgow.
Scotland under-18 are heading back to the Borders with two cracking challenges against France and Wales at Selkirk and Melrose, respectively.
Try doubles from Mike Adamson and Grant Anderson ensured the Scotland 7s team returned from the Emirates Airline South Africa Sevens with silverware in hand.
The Scots, who had won only one of their three Pool D matches on day one (against Tunisia), overcame defeat in the bowl quarter-finals against the USA to remain undefeated throughout the final two stages of the Shield event in games against Zimbabwe and France.
“It’s been a hugely disappointing two weeks,” said coach Stephen Gemmell referring to South Africa and the previous event in Dubai where the Scots departed empty-handed. “We’re not going to shy away from that, but we now have something to build on.”
The IRB Sevens World Series now moves on to New Zealand (5 & 6 February) where Scotland are pooled with Fiji, Australia and Papua New Guinea, and Las Vegas (13 & 14 February).
Sarah Gill represented Scotland at the launch of WRWC 2010 at Twickenham
As part of the year-long build-up to the 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup, Scotland Women recently took on Ireland Women in Belfast. Meanwhile Scotland Women A players attended a two day training camp over the same weekend, in Edinburgh, in preparation for their first game of the season against the British Army on 30 January 2010.
After the festive break, the players will continue to play for their clubs as the focus turns to the Six Nations which, for Scotland, kicks off against France at Lasswade on Saturday 6 February.
Said Scotland Women Coach Gary Parker: “We have a few adjustments to make to improve some things but I’m confident in the players and the time we have that we will be able to challenge and develop the players for the Six Nations and the Women’s Rugby World Cup after that.”
Scotland U18 
Scotland 7s lifted the Shield in South Africa 
Sarah Gill represented Scotland at the launch of WRWC 2010 at Twickenham