Alex Masibaka is one of three uncapped players in Scotland’s summer tour squad.
Image: © Craig Watson –
www.craigwatson.co.uk 
RORY DARGE will captain a familiar looking 36-player strong Scotland squad during this summer’s tour to New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, with prop Fin Richardson (of Glasgow Warriors), stand-off Fergus Burke (of Saracens) and back-row Alexander Masibaka (who spent this season on loan to French second tier outfit Soyaux Angoulême XV Charente but will return to Montpellier next season) the only uncapped players in the squad. All three have trained with Scotland previously.
Hooker George Turner returns to the fold after a year playing in Japan, ahead of joining Harlequins next seasons; while Saracens back-row Andy Onyeama-Christie has been selected after overcoming an ankle injury sustained in October 2024.
Darcy Graham, Ben White and Jamie Ritchie are among the players who will hope that close vicinity to Australia could be handy if the British & Irish Lions end up looking for late call-ups to their squad.
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“Almost as strong as possible,” said head coach Gregor Townsend, when asked how he had balanced the twin demands of development and making sure there are no slip-ups when selecting his squad. “We know that playing and winning Test matches for Scotland is really important, so we have to pick a strong squad to take on the likes of Fiji and Samoa. It’s even more important this year with world ranking points.
“The World Cup draw is made after November, so these games are crucial to make sure we’ve got the best chance of being in that top six and getting a better seeding.
“There’s always maybe one or two players that we’ve decided not to select. Not because of form, but because we think it’s not right for them to go on tour at this time. But other than that, it’s as strong a squad as we could select. The benefit of having that third game, against the Maori All Blacks, will mean that everybody on tour will get game time.
“A number of players who missed out on playing in the Six Nations are going to get a chance to play for Scotland on this tour,” he added. “Fergus [Burke] was there every week of Six Nations training camp. He was excellent. We loved working with him.
“We’ve seen his game grow this year at Saracens. I felt he’s played some consistent rugby in a new environment, playing Northern Hemisphere club rugby. Finding out different ways to play the game has given him a better rugby education. He’s someone that there’s a lot more to come from and we’ll see that on tour.
“Fin [Richardson] came out for the last two weeks on summer tour last year. That was before he joined Glasgow. Given that he’s now starting at tight-head, he’s been making really good progress.
“I think his last two games were up against Leinster, both times away from home, both times up against Andrew Porter, who’s with the Lions. He’s done really well. That is a really good rugby education for him. This will be another one on the summer tour.
“With Alexander Masibaka, he was with us twice on two separate occasions during the Six Nations. He was just a sponge, wanting to know things that he can work on back at his club. That’s the physical side of it, the rugby side of it. He was in great form.
“His club got to the play-offs in the PRO D2. Alexander was one of the key reasons they played so well this year. Now having him with a longer period of time, with the potential or probability that he’s going to get game time, that gives us something to look forward to.”
The tour kicks off with a match against the Māori All Blacks on Saturday 5th July, which will be the first time the sides have met since 2000, when the hosts edged a narrow encounter 18-15 in New Plymouth. It will be just the third match between the Māori and Scotland with the other game coming at Murrayfield in Edinburgh in 1998.
The tourists will then take on Fiji, with the match marking Scotland’s first game on Fijian soil since 2017, and the tour will finish on Friday 18th July when Scotland take on Samoa.
Broadcast details for the Fiji and Samoa games are still to be confirmed.
Skyscanner Pacific Tour Squad –
Backs (15):
Back Three:
- Darcy Graham – Edinburgh Rugby (46)
- Harry Paterson – Edinburgh Rugby (3)
- Arron Reed – Sale Sharks (3)
- Kyle Rowe – Glasgow Warriors (12)
- Ollie Smith – Glasgow Warriors (9)
- Kyle Steyn – Glasgow Warriors (23)
Centre:
- Matt Currie – Edinburgh Rugby (4)
- Cameron Redpath – Bath Rugby (14)
- Stafford McDowall – Glasgow Warriors (13)
- Tom Jordan – Glasgow Warriors (8)
Stand-off:
- Fergus Burke – Saracens (uncapped)
- Adam Hastings – Glasgow Warriors (32)
Scrum-half:
- Jamie Dobie – Glasgow Warriors (12)
- George Horne – Glasgow Warriors (36)
- Ben White – Toulon (29)
Forwards (21):
Loose-head props:
- Alec Hepburn – Scarlets (4)
- Nathan McBeth – Glasgow Warriors (2)
- Rory Sutherland – Glasgow Warriors (41)
Hookers:
- Ewan Ashman – Edinburgh Rugby (27)
- Patrick Harrison – Edinburgh Rugby (3)
- George Turner – Kobelco Kobe Steelers (45)
Tight-head props:
- Will Hurd – Leicester Tigers (8)
- Elliot Millar Mills – Northampton Saints (7)
- Fin Richardson – Glasgow Warriors (uncapped)
Second-rows:
- Grant Gilchrist – Edinburgh Rugby (80)
- Cameron Henderson – Leicester Tigers (1)
- Marshall Sykes – Edinburgh Rugby (2)
- Max Williamson – Glasgow Warriors (6)
Back-rows:
- Josh Bayliss – Bath Rugby (10)
- Gregor Brown – Glasgow Warriors (9)
- Matt Fagerson – Glasgow Warriors (55)
- Rory Darge – CAPTAIN – Glasgow Warriors (30)
- Alexander Masibaka –Soyaux Angoulême XV Charente (uncapped)
- Ben Muncaster – Edinburgh Rugby (2)
- Andy Onyeama-Christie – Saracens (8)
- Jamie Ritchie – Edinburgh Rugby (59)
Scotland’s 2025 Summer Tour: Fixtures:
- Māori All Blacks v Scotland – Semenoff Stadium, Whangārei Saturday 5 July 2025, kick-off 3.35pm (local time, Saturday 5 July, kick-off 4.35am BST) – Live on Sky Sports.
- Fiji v Scotland – HFC Bank Stadium, Suva Saturday 12 July 2025, kick-off 3pm (local time, Saturday 12 July 2025, kick-off 4am BST).
- Samoa v Scotland – Eden Park, Auckland Friday 18 July 2025, kick-off 8.05pm (local time, Friday 18 July 2025, kick-off 9.05am BST).
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