Inside Scotland's Chaotic World Cup Build-up

Women's Rugby World Cup 2025: Scotland v Wales

Venue: Salford Community Stadium Date: Saturday, 23 August Kick-off: 14:45 BST

Coverage: Live connected BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport Online and BBC Sounds

Scotland's build-up to this year's Women's Rugby World Cup has been, to put it mildly, chaotic.

They statesman their tourney against Wales successful Salford connected Saturday, and their opening lucifer jumps retired arsenic nan captious 1 if they are to look from a excavation that besides contains Fiji and Canada.

But successful nan weeks starring into nan tournament, a conflict betwixt nan playing squad and Scottish Rugby astir contracts has played retired publicly.

The impending departure of caput coach Bryan Easson - and nan timing of nan announcement of his exit truthful adjacent to nan tourney - has besides caused rancour among nan players.

Scotland are looking to correct nan wrongs of a achy excavation shape exit astatine nan past World Cup successful 2022, but preparations for nan biggest tourney of these players' careers has been acold from ideal.

In June, a typical of nan squad contacted nan BBC anonymously to opportunity immoderate players successful nan World Cup training campy were continuing to "suffer pinch their intelligence and affectional wellness pursuing nan imaginable nonaccomplishment of their contracts".

When he subsequently said to BBC Scotland, Scottish rugby main executive Alex Williamson acknowledged it was "an uncomfortable situation" that would beryllium resolved earlier nan tournament.

However, Scotland helping Rhona Lloyd told nan media astatine nan World Cup squad announcement that nan solution reached has resulted successful "more than half" of nan 32-player squad being near without contracts aft nan tournament.

Captain Rachel Malcolm described nan business arsenic "very disruptive", said that Scottish Rugby "probably haven't had excessively overmuch sympathy towards our case", and felt nan players had been put successful an "unfair position".

As nan tourney draws closer, Malcolm was keen to tie a statement nether nan conflict and attraction connected nan rugby, but admits nan section has taken a toll connected her.

"I've been done galore a reliable clip successful this role, not conscionable successful nan past six months," she told BBC's Scotland Rugby Podcast.

"I cognize these girls wrong out. I cognize nan things which make them tick and I cognize what sets them off. I'm conscionable very protective of them.

"That's been difficult for maine to woody with. I conscionable want to conflict for them and I want nan champion for them arsenic individuals and people. I deliberation it's weighed connected me, for sure. It's not conscionable weighed connected me, though. It's nan full group."

Head coach Easson announced past period he would beryllium leaving nan domiciled he has held since 2020 instantly aft nan World Cup.

He declined to corroborate if he was leaving nan occupation of his ain volition aft what he described arsenic "sticky" discussions pinch nan SRU regarding his future.

The news, coming small complete a period earlier nan tournament, came arsenic "a shock" according to Malcolm, who said it was "upsetting".

Easson agreed nan timing had been problematic, but is wished to front retired connected a high.

"The truth it's nan past dance, it does put that small spot of an other separator connected it," he told nan Scotland Rugby Podcast. "I'm conscionable truthful excited to spot what this group tin do.

"We've had immoderate monolithic highs but immoderate existent lows and we've gone done a batch together. I deliberation astir apt nan spot of nan group is immoderate of nan adversity that we've gone through.

"I've worked pinch a batch of these players for nan past five, six, 7 years and to spot them grow, going from 12th successful nan world to fifth, and going into each crippled pinch existent belief and expecting to win... it is simply a occupation I person thoroughly enjoyed."

One of nan driving motivations for Scotland is to easiness nan symptom that still lingers from nan past World Cup successful 2022.

It was nan first clip successful 12 years nan Scots had appeared successful nan tournament, but agonising defeats by Wales (by 3 points) and Australia (by two) saw them exit astatine nan excavation stage.

"There's decidedly still a sour sensation successful my mouth," said Malcolm. "I deliberation we astir apt underestimated really overmuch alleviation we felt to conscionable beryllium there.

"I don't cognize if we needfully went into that pinch nan correct mindset and tenacity astir what we wanted to achieve.

"I deliberation this World Cup is different. We've gone back-to-back for nan first clip successful a very agelong clip successful position of qualifications.

"We don't conscionable want to get location and bask nan experience. We want to spell there, we want to execute and we want to achieve."