Scotland Rugby News

Sir Clive Woodward has delivered a stinging rebuke of Gregor Townsend's new role with Red Bull - insisting that he should focus on his day job as Scotland head coach

There's so much to get into ahead of the opening weekend. We put the call out for your questions and now we're putting the best of them to Sir Clive - here's what he had to say...

The next month represents heaven for rugby fans. It promises to be action of the highest quality - and a chance for a new era of stars to cement their status as talents worthy of the international stage.

Born in Canada and raised in Cheshire, Ewan Ashman has his family to thank for ensuring there would never be any ambiguity when it came to his international allegiances.

Darcy Graham might be short in stature but he continues to make a big impression.

Shamed former Scotland star Rufus McLean will play NO part in the American Eagles' match at Murrayfield next month despite being named in the US squad for their autumn internationals.

Red Bull have a reputation for efficiency and excellence, but on Tuesday, executives from the company told Steve Diamond he was being sacked at Newcastle via Zoom.

With shiny new contracts being thrown around like confetti at a wedding, Scottish Rugby have recently renewed their vows with both Gregor Townsend and Franco Smith.

With the new URC season about to get underway, Daily Mail Sport spoke to Premier Sports' Ryan Wilson to get his thoughts on how the Scottish clubs might fare.

For anyone watching the post-match interviews following Scotland's defeat by England in their World Cup quarter-final, it was impossible to get away from the sense the team had been let down.

How should success for Gregor Townsend and Scotland be measured? David Nucifora doesn't seem to have a quantifiable answer.

Gregor Townsend was curiously missing from his own (re)unveiling.

It's only three weeks since Newcastle Falcons became Newcastle Red Bulls. But significant change is already underway at Kingston Park and it is happening quickly.

Scottish Rugby performance director David Nucifora defended the decision to extend Gregor Townsend's tenure as Scotland head coach and admitted - we found nobody better.

Gregor Townsend has been handed the chance to lead Scotland into the next Rugby World Cup.

Here, writing ahead of Saturday morning's fixture, Mail Sport's ALEX BYWATER ranks the top 10 most successful Lions tours of all time.

CHRIS FOY IN SYDNEY: The skipper's last call to arms will involve imploring these Lions to ensure that their crusade resonates for eternity, by completing a 3-0 series whitewash.

If his preparations go to plan, Farrell will become the first coach of the professional era to lead the Lions to a clean sweep, and be firmly in the hot seat to lead the tourists again in 2029.

Andrea Piardi had a very, very good game in the British & Irish Lions' series-clinching second Test win over Australia in Melbourne - right up until the final moment of the match.

Liverpool and Manchester United's owners are ready to go head-to-head by buying teams in the new rugby rebel league threatening to rip up the sport with in millions in investment.

DAN BIGGAR: I met up for a coffee with Wallabies winger Andrew Kellaway in Melbourne. We are mates from our Northampton days and we had a pretty honest conversation.

A giant destroyer of packs and Irish dreams stands between the Lions and their historic target on Saturday, as the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground is set to stage another momentous bodyline Test.

Scotland women's captain Rachel Malcolm insisted her players have been put in an 'unfair' position ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

CHRIS FOY: Amid all the deserved acclaim for Garry Ringrose's honesty about suffering concussion symptoms, a Lions selection gamble was partially hidden, but it was a shock all the same.

There were more than 100 names on the Welsh Rugby Union's list to replace an icon. And 160 days since Warren Gatland was sacked, Steve Tandy has won the race.

When the dust settles on Scotland's summer tour of the Pacific, the bare facts will show that they won two of their three matches.

Gregor Townsned refused to be drawn on his future as Scotland head coach after rounding off the summer tour with victory over Samoa in Auckland.

DAN BIGGAR: I strongly believe the Wallabies need to win the first Test to have any chance of winning the series. There are going to the five key battle grounds - here's how each side can win them.

Ellis Genge is poised to complete a treble of career-defining trips to Australia by confirming his epic transformation from 'wild' rookie into a world-class, tone-setting Lion on Saturday.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: So many incredible players have represented the Lions, and as a result, ranking my top 50 of all time has been an incredibly stressful and onerous task.

Ben Te'o has the unique distinction of playing both as a Lion and in the State of Origin. Having reached those twin peaks, he has been left with an ambitious vision - the codes reunited.

WORLD OF RUGBY: Farrell has been emphasising that nationality is not a factor when it comes to his Lions selection, but it makes sense to capitalise on established combinations

One more tour game to go and then the Lions can head to Brisbane and settle in one place, with a mission to find solutions to three glaring, recurring problems before they confront the Wallabies.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: Everyone connected with the Lions will be hoping the injury which forced Blair Kinghorn from the field against the Brumbies on Wednesday isn't too serious.

NIK SIMON AT GIO STADIUM, CANBERRA: This is who shone for the Lions and who has work to do with only 10 days and warm-up game left until the Test series starts.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY NIK SIMON: For a few seconds, I am flat on the floor of the Opetaia Boxing Club. That is what happens when you agree to take a punch from Sonny Bill Williams.

WORLD OF RUGBY: So much for best-laid plans. Farrell spoke throughout the early part of this tour about how all Test selection forecasts can go out the window - and that is happening here.

Stafford McDowall admits it will be a career highlight to captain Scotland in New Zealand - especially when it comes to facing down the Haka.

When the 1888 Lions spent 42 days at sea travelling to the southern hemisphere, they were accompanied by more than 300 stoats and weasels in the belly of their boat.

Gregor Townsend remains tight-lipped over his future as Scotland head coach ahead of their summer tour getting under way in New Zealand this weekend.

CHRIS FOY IN BRISBANE: All four flags are still flying on this Lions tour, thanks to Jac Morgan. The last Welshman standing has propelled himself into Test contention.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: As coach, Andy Farrell will be pleased on the whole. But there is part of me that is still concerned about what's happened in the first two tour matches.

NIK SIMON AT SUNCORP STADIUM: The Lions made it two from two Down Under as they roared back from an early wobble to run in eight tries against the Queensland Reds in Brisbane.

NIK SIMON IN PERTH: On the sidelines of Lions training in eastern Brisbane, Blair Kinghorn pedalled away by himself on an exercise bike.

NIK SIMON IN PERTH: The injury marred a high-scoring victory in Perth, where the Lions' contingent of Kiwi, Australian and South African players were mocked.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: Finn Russell was in a league of his own in Perth, stamping his mark on the team from No 10 and proving just how good he is with a fantastic display.

CHRIS FOY: Dan Sheehan scored early to give the visitors the lead before rival skipper Nic White hit back for the Force. The hosts went on to frustrate the Lions before being undone.

The Lion who once roamed the world has only to lift his head to glimpse his happy hunting ground. 'That's where I learned rugby,' says John Beattie, looking out on the Glasgow Academy.

Nicknamed 'Mighty Mouse' for his powerful scrummaging and compact frame, he won 43 caps for Scotland between 1969 and 1979, captaining his country 19 times.

Lions boss Andy Farrell has named his stating side for the first of the summer matches against Argentina on Friday, with four foreign-born players included in the 15 and two more in the replacements.

Shamed former Scotland star Rufus McLean is set to make a controversial return to international rugby with the USA - and could potentially face Gregor Townsend's side at Murrayfield this year.

Alex Williamson has given his backing to David Nucifora as Scottish Rugby's performance director.

Scottish Rugby chief executive Alex Williamson claims Gregor Townsend is still the man to lead Scotland forward.

Alex Williamson expects Scottish Rugby to slash its losses for the next financial year thanks mainly to the increase in the number of concerts being hosted at Murrayfield.

CHRIS FOY: The Smiths are back together again and what a precious opportunity this is for England's leading playmakers to call the tune for the Lions.

RUGBY CONFIDENTIAL: An armada of thousands are preparing to make the pilgrimage Down Under to support the Lions - but the fun won't be limited to those in Australia.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: In 2005, I was Lions head coach and we too began with a warm-up against Argentina. Things didn't quite go to plan.

It was rugby's equivalent of that old football chestnut about whether Lionel Messi would still be able to perform at his very best on a freezing, wet Tuesday night in Barnsley.

Up close, England's superstar No 10 shows no marks of the stresses and strains that came from losing his starting shirt, shunted into a new position and then to the bench.

The man overseeing this new masterplan is David Nucifora, Scottish Rugby's performance director who has been tasked with revamping the player pathway and academy system.

Scottish Rugby have been accused of showing 'disrespect' and a 'lack of care' towards young players after announcing major cuts to their academy system.

The regular domestic season is over, and on Tuesday night the Premiership handed out their seasonal awards. But here we looking at the lesser-spotted action that deserves its own gongs.

Henco Venter expressed disappointment over his impending Glasgow exit after becoming one of the first victims of Scottish Rugby's drive to reduce the number of non-Scottish-qualified players.

RUGBY CONFIDENTIAL: At a time of financial constraints across British club rugby, all teams are looking to gain a recruitment advantage by unearthing value signings their rivals aren't aware of.

At last, here it is, a global guide to help oval-ball enthusiasts plan the best places to take in a fixture - close to home or thousands of miles away.

The 2026 Six Nations will kick-off on a Thursday night with a huge clash between defending champions France and Ireland on February 5 next year.

EXCLUSIVE BY ALEX BYWATER: For Wallabies great Matt Giteau, his two former team-mates still have plenty to offer Australia head coach Joe Schmidt.

The former wing's progress since retiring as a player has been as swift as it has been impressive. England boss Borthwick and Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson are both big fans.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY CHRIS FOY: Henry Pollock has been warned. And it's a familiar face delivering the message.

The Lions selection battle has only just begun. After Andy Farrell named a squad of 38 (or should that be 40?) to tour Australia this summer on Thursday, the next step is picking a starting team.

Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu celebrated his British and Irish Lions call-up - but admitted he feared his dream of touring his homeland Australia would be wrecked by injury.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: A Lions call caps a remarkable year for Henry Pollock. I did think the tour might come too soon for him. But I changed my mind after watching him against Leinster.

NIK SIMON: Henry Pollock, Marcus Smith and Fin Smith have been named in Andy Farrell's squad for this summer's Lions tour of Australia.

Follow Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Andy Farrell is set to name his full squad for the  2025 British and Lions tour of Australia.

Glasgow Warriors are set to sign Scottish-qualified former Ireland Under-20 scrum-half Jack Oliver from Munster for next season.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: A week today, Andy Farrell will announce his Lions squad for this summer's tour of Australia. Doing so is incredibly difficult, as I found out when I coached the Lions in 2005.

RUGBY CONFIDENTIAL: When Marcus Smith turned up at Miami's rugby club during designated time off, it quickly became clear there was more to his holiday than initially met the eye.

Leinster away from home in a Champions Cup quarter-final is about as tough as it gets but I genuinely believe Glasgow Warriors can go to the Aviva on Friday night and cause an upset.

RUGBY CONFIDENTIAL: Over in Madrid, Spanish rugby officials are plotting to wake up one of the sport's 'sleeping giants'.