 | ||
| Full name | Edinburgh Rugby Women | |
|---|---|---|
| Union | Scottish Rugby Union | |
| Founded | 2023 | |
| Location | Edinburgh, Scotland | |
| Ground(s) | Hive Stadium (Capacity: 7,800) | |
| Coach(es) | Claire Cruikshank | |
| League(s) | Celtic Challenge | |
| ||
| Official website | ||
| edinburghrugby | ||
 Current season | ||
Edinburgh Rugby Women are a select provincial rugby union side from Scotland. The team plays in the Celtic Challenge league.
Edinburgh Rugby Women was formed in December 2023 by Edinburgh Rugby and the Scottish Rugby Union to play in the Celtic Challenge, [1] a cross-border women's rugby union competition that will be held annually. The competition was launched in 2023 and is designed to develop players for the Celtic nations of Ireland, Scotland and Wales. [1]
Edinburgh Rugby women's side play their home matches at Hive Stadium.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Wolfhounds | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 238 | 130 | +108 | 38 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 32 |
| 2 |  Edinburgh Rugby | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 160 | 134 | +26 | 26 | 22 | 5 | 0 | 25 |
| 3 | Clovers | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 142 | 147 | −5 | 23 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 17 |
| 4 |  Gwalia Lightning | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 164 | 134 | +30 | 20 | 22 | 3 | 2 | 17 |
| 5 | Brython Thunder | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 113 | 137 | −24 | 20 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 16 |
| 6 | Glasgow Warriors | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 87 | 222 | −135 | 13 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
The coaching team was announced on 12 December 2023. [3]
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Claire Cruikshank | Head coach |
| Stuart Corsar | Assistant coach |
| Euan Mochrie | Assistant coach |
| Andrew Whitelaw | Development Coach |
| Ross McCann | Development Coach |
| Drew Scott | Strength and Conditioning Coach |
The squad for the 2023–24 season was announced on 18 December 2023. [4] On 29 December 2023 Sarah Denholm was named as captain as part of the first game squad announcement. [5]
Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.
On 27 December 2023, Scottish Rugby announced 11 transitional players that could play for either Scottish Celtic challenge team. [6] Transitional players were selected through a Scottish qualified programme, a programme to develop and support Scottish qualified players living outside of Scotland, as well as players who have previously been involved with Scotland but currently live outside of Scotland. [6]
| Name | Position | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Izzy Hannay | Flanker |  Harlequins |
| Gemma Bell | Flanker | Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Evie Addy | Prop | Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Nicole Marlow | Fly Half | Cardiff Metropolitan University |
| Leia Brebner-Holden | Scrum Half | Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Izzy McGuire-Evans | Centre | Sale Sharks |
| Orla Proctor | Full Back | Leicester Tigers |
| Nicola Haynes | Hooker | Saracens |
| Demi Swann | Prop | Exeter Chiefs |
| Fiona McIntosh | Lock | Saracens |
| Panashe Muzambe | Prop | Exeter Chiefs |
International players released to play for Edinburgh Rugby in the Celtic Challenge league. [7]
| Name | Position | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Caity Mattinson | Scrum Half | Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Jenny Maxwell | Scrum Half | Loughborough Lightning |
The Scottish Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland. Now marketed as Scottish Rugby, it is the second oldest Rugby Union, having been founded in 1873. The SRU oversees the national league system, known as the Scottish League Championship, and the Scottish National teams. The SRU is headed by the President and Chairman, with Mark Dodson acting as the Chief Executive Officer. Dee Bradbury became the first female president of a Tier 1 rugby nation upon her appointment on 4 August 2018.
The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. For sponsorship reasons the league is known as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in South Africa, and the BKT United Rugby Championship in the competition's other territories, the split branding mirroring the format previously adopted in Super Rugby. The Championship represents the highest level of domestic club or franchise rugby in each of its constituent countries.
Edinburgh Rugby is one of the two professional rugby union teams from Scotland. The club competes in the United Rugby Championship, along with the Glasgow Warriors, its oldest rival. Edinburgh plays the majority of its home games at Edinburgh Rugby Stadium.
Glasgow Warriors are a professional rugby union side from Scotland. The team plays in the United Rugby Championship league and in the European Professional Club Rugby tournaments. In the 2014–15 season they won the Pro12 title and became the first Scottish team to win a major trophy in rugby union's professional era. In 2023-24 they became the first Scottish side to win the United Rugby Championship in its current form. The side is known for its fast, dynamic and attacking style of play, using offloads and quick rucks. Defensively the club prides itself on its 'Fortress Scotstoun' where the club play at home.
Murrayfield Stadium is a rugby union stadium located in the Murrayfield area of Edinburgh, Scotland. The stadium is owned by the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) who has its headquarters based at the stadium, and is the national stadium of the Scotland national rugby union team. With a seating capacity of 67,144, it is the largest stadium in Scotland, the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, and the twenty–second largest in Europe.
Daniel Arthur Parks is a professional rugby union coach and former player who played as a fly-half.
Celtic Football Club Women is a Scottish professional association football team, the women's section of Celtic Football Club. They play in the Scottish Women's Premier League, the top division of women's football in Scotland. They compete as Celtic FC, and are normally called the 'women's first team' within the club. In December 2018 they announced their intentions to become the first professional women's football team in Scotland with the transition completed in January 2020.
Cornell du Preez is a South African-born Scottish rugby union player. He currently plays as a loose forward for Toulon in the Top 14 and represented Scotland internationally.
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Simon Berghan is a former Scotland international rugby union player. A prop forward, he played for Glasgow Warriors in the United Rugby Championship, having previously played for Edinburgh Rugby in the Pro14. On 18 June 2023 he announced his retirement from rugby, and he moved into working in finance with BlackRock.
Pierre Schoeman is a professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for United Rugby Championship club Edinburgh Rugby. Born in South Africa, he represents Scotland at international level after qualifying on residency grounds.
Alistair William Price is a professional rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for United Rugby Championship club Edinburgh. Born in England, he represents Scotland at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.
Glasgow District is a Scottish amateur rugby union team which plays in the amateur Scottish Inter-District Championship. The side evolved into the professional provincial side Glasgow Warriors when the Scottish Rugby Union embraced professionalism. However the amateur district is still used for the representation of amateur players in the Inter-District Championship; and this amateur championship guides the selection of Scotland Club XV international players.
The Scottish Inter-District Championship is a rugby union competition between regional sides in Scotland. Established in 1953, the tournament went through several formats.
Nick Grigg is a rugby union player, who currently plays as a midfield back for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and the Miami Sharks in Major League Rugby.
The Celtic Challenge is a cross-border women's rugby union competition that will be held annually, launched in 2023. Designed to develop players for the Celtic nations of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the inaugural pilot edition featured a double round robin between three teams, one from each participating union. From 2024 the competition will involve six teams, two from each participating union. Beginning with the 2024–25 season, the competition will maintain its six-team setup, transitioning into a full home-and-away round-robin format. The winners will be determined by standings at the end of the season.
The 2023–24 Celtic Challenge was the second season of the Celtic Challenge, a cross-border women's rugby union competition with teams from Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. The enlarged six team tournament featured a single round robin fixture series, after which the six team table is split in two. This is followed by three further 'play-off' rounds in a set of three double-header fixtures. Each team will therefore play a seven match season.
Glasgow Warriors Women are a select provincial rugby union side from Scotland. The team plays in the Celtic Challenge league.
Sophie Anderson is a Scotland international rugby union player.
Fiona McIntosh is an English-born Scottish rugby union player, who currently plays as a lock for Saracens Women in Premiership Women's Rugby, the top-tier competition of women's rugby union in England, and the Scotland national team.
