{"id":173875,"date":"2025-06-10T20:50:14","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T20:50:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/173875\/"},"modified":"2025-06-10T20:50:14","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T20:50:14","slug":"scotland-squad-named-for-summer-tour-to-new-zealand-and-pacific-islands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/173875\/","title":{"rendered":"Scotland squad named for summer tour to New Zealand and Pacific Islands"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AlexAlex Masibaka is one of three uncapped players in Scotland’s summer tour squad.
\nImage: \u00a9 Craig Watson –
\nwww.craigwatson.co.uk <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n

RORY DARGE will captain a familiar looking 36-player strong Scotland squad during this summer\u2019s 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 Angoul\u00eame XV Charente but will return to Montpellier next season) the only uncapped players in the squad. All three have trained with Scotland previously.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hooker George Turner<\/strong> returns to the fold after a year playing in Japan, ahead of joining Harlequins next seasons; while Saracens back-row Andy Onyeama-Christie<\/strong> has been selected after overcoming an ankle injury sustained in October 2024.<\/p>\n

Darcy Graham, Ben White<\/strong> and Jamie Ritchie<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAlmost as strong as possible,\u201d said head coach Gregor Townsend,<\/strong> when asked how he had balanced the twin demands of development and making sure there are no slip-ups when selecting his squad. \u201cWe 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\u2019s even more important this year with world ranking points.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe World Cup draw is made after November, so these games are crucial to make sure we\u2019ve got the best chance of being in that top six and getting a better seeding.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s always maybe one or two players that we\u2019ve decided not to select. Not because of form, but because we think it\u2019s not right for them to go on tour at this time. But other than that, it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cA 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,\u201d he added. \u201cFergus [Burke] was there every week of Six Nations training camp. He was excellent. We loved working with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve seen his game grow this year at Saracens. I felt he\u2019s 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\u2019s someone that there\u2019s a lot more to come from and we\u2019ll see that on tour.<\/p>\n

\u201cFin [Richardson] came out for the last two weeks on summer tour last year. That was before he joined Glasgow. Given that he\u2019s now starting at tight-head, he\u2019s been making really good progress.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think his last two games were up against Leinster, both times away from home, both times up against Andrew Porter, who\u2019s with the Lions. He\u2019s done really well. That is a really good rugby education for him. This will be another one on the summer tour.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith 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\u2019s the physical side of it, the rugby side of it. He was in great form.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis 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\u2019s going to get game time, that gives us something to look forward to.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tour kicks off with a match against the M\u0101ori 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 M\u0101ori and Scotland with the other game coming at Murrayfield in Edinburgh in 1998.<\/p>\n

The tourists will then take on Fiji, with the match marking Scotland\u2019s first game on Fijian soil since 2017, and the tour will finish on Friday 18th July when Scotland take on Samoa.<\/p>\n

Broadcast details for the Fiji and Samoa games are still to be confirmed.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Skyscanner Pacific Tour Squad \u2013<\/p>\n

Backs (15):<\/strong><\/p>\n

Back Three:<\/strong><\/p>\n