Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has named his 33-man squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
The squad features a blend of experience and youth, with Richie Gray, Grant Gilchrist and WP Nel all selected for their third World Cup. There are also first call-ups for Ewan Ashman, Dave Cherry and Rory Sutherland.
Ritchie will captain the side, with Zander Fagerson and Cherry named vice-captains.
The squad is as follows:
Forwards:
- Ewan Ashman
- Jamie Bhatti
- Dave Cherry
- Luke Crosbie
- Scott Cummings
- Rory Darge
- Jack Dempsey
- Matt Fagerson
- Zander Fagerson
- Grant Gilchrist
- Richie Gray
- WP Nel
- Jamie Ritchie (captain)
- Pierre Schoeman
- Javan Sebastian
- Sam Skinner
- Rory Sutherland
- George Turner
- Hamish Watson
Backs:
- Darcy Graham
- Blair Kinghorn
- Chris Harris
- Ben Healy
- George Horne
- Huw Jones
- Ali Price
- Cameron Redpath
- Finn Russell
- Ollie Smith
- Kyle Steyn
- Sione Tuipulotu
- Duhan van der Merwe
- Ben White
Scotland are drawn in Pool B alongside South Africa, Ireland, Tonga and Romania.
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They will begin their campaign against South Africa in Marseille on September 10, 2023.
Townsend said: “We are excited to announce our squad for the Rugby World Cup. It is a talented group of players who have worked hard to earn their selection.
“We have a challenging pool but we are confident in our ability to compete and win. We are looking forward to the tournament and giving it our best.”
Scotland have never won the Rugby World Cup, but they have reached the semifinals on three occasions. They will be looking to go one step further in France and reach the final.
The squad features a number of experienced players who have been key to Scotland’s recent success, including Gray, Gilchrist, Nel, Ritchie, Fagerson and Price. There are also a number of exciting young players in the squad, such as Ashman, Cherry, Darge and Healy.
Scotland will be hoping to build on their recent form and challenge for the World Cup title in France. They have a tough pool to navigate, but they have the talent and experience to do so.
See more: Meet the Players Who Will Be Competing for Rugby World Cup Glory in France
