Scotland training squad for Rugby World Cup: Townsend's future under spotlight, Finn Russell delay and potential new caps

Gregor Townsend will name his training squad for the Rugby World Cup on Tuesday and, at the same time, likely shed some light on his own future.
Finn Russell, centre, is likely to be delayed in joining up with Scotland if Racing 92 make the Top 14 play-offs. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)Finn Russell, centre, is likely to be delayed in joining up with Scotland if Racing 92 make the Top 14 play-offs. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
Finn Russell, centre, is likely to be delayed in joining up with Scotland if Racing 92 make the Top 14 play-offs. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
Graham Bean
By Graham Bean
Published 8th May 2023, 18:42 BST
Updated 8th May 2023, 18:44 BST
Comment

The Scotland head coach’s contract expires at the conclusion of the tournament in France in the autumn and he has spent time since the Six Nations talking to Scottish Rugby chief Mark Dodson about signing a new deal. Dodson’s own contract expires in summer 2025 and it has been suggested that Townsend could agree to a similar timeframe. Clarity would be helpful in the World Cup build-up which begins in earnest with the squad announcement. Townsend is expected to name a pool of around 40 players for an initial four-week training camp which will then be cut to 33 for the tournament itself which kicks off for Scotland against South Africa in Marseille on September 10 and continues with Pool B fixtures against Tonga, Romania and Ireland.

The bulk of the squad will meet up on May 29 for the start of the training camp, with those players whose clubs are involved in the latter stages of their respective competitions given dispensation to join up later. That will include the large contingent from Glasgow Warriors who have reached the European Challenge Cup final and will be given an extra week to recover. Similarly, potential call-ups Ewan Ashman (Sale Sharks), Cameron Henderson (Leicester Tigers), Andy Christie, Callum Hunter-Hill and Sean Maitland (all Saracens) and Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints) are all likely to be involved in the Gallagher Premiership play-offs, with the semi-finals taking place this weekend and the final scheduled for May 27. The Guinness Pro14 final will take place on the same day, and Ben Healy’s Munster are through to the semis which are a week on Saturday. Finn Russell’s involvement in the Scotland training camp could be severely limited depending on Racing 92’s progress. France’s regular season goes on until the final weekend of May, with play-offs to follow right through to the Top 14 final on June 17. Racing are currently fourth with two rounds of regular fixtures remaining before the play-offs begin on June 3.

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