Scrum-half Rhea Clarke is ready to “embrace” her first start for Scotland on Saturday versus Canada at Hive Stadium in Edinburgh in the WXV Global Series (4.10pm, live on BBC ALBA and BBC iPlayer), according to interim head coach Dave Butcher.
With first choice number nine Leia Brebner-Holden one of a batch of players in the 32-strong wider squad recovering from injuries and with Butcher “erring on the side of caution” with a busy September and October ahead, 23-year-old Clarke has been given her chance to impress.
Since making her debut off the bench in Leicester versus England during last year’s Women’s Six Nations, Clarke has earned three other caps off the bench and was at Rugby World Cup 2025.
Now she has the opportunity to start on her fifth cap, something that will be extra special for her because her older sister Elliann is also starting and will be at tighthead prop earning cap number 30.
Clarke recently joined Glasgow Warriors and has played for them before as well as for Dunfermline, Stirling County, Edinburgh University, Bristol Bears and various representative sides.
Butcher said: “Rhea’s done really, really well.
“Leia Brebner-Holden was injured, so it gives an opportunity for both the other scrum-halves to get game time [Clarke and Ceitidh Ainsworth].
“Obviously, assistant coach Tom Luke knows Rhea really well from her time at Bristol and Rhea’s ready to embrace that step up [to start] while Leia’s recovering.
“I think she’s really got the bit between her teeth.
“She understands what we want out of her in this new [playing] model and I think that’s given her real clarity on how to operate.
“And having had extra time with all the coaches in recent weeks has really given her that ability to understand how she functions in this team.
“We’re really looking forward to seeing what she’ll do on Saturday.”
Clarke is one of five changes to the starting XV from Scotland’s last game away to Ireland in May at the end of the Six Nations.
Captain Rachel Malcolm, fellow back-row Evie Gallagher and hooker Lana Skeldon are all back from injury while Hollie Cunningham comes into the second-row for the retired Louise McMillan.
On the bench, Anne Young is back from injury, Adelle Ferrie earns a place after recently being added to the wider squad in place of the injured Alex Stewart while Ceitidh Ainsworth of Glasgow Warriors and Katie Buchanan of Exeter Chiefs could debut from there.
In recent years we have been used to seeing Ainsworth, 22, playing stand-off for Stirling County, but the age-grade cap is covering scrum-half here.
“Yeah, I think maybe we’re debuting Ceitidh faster than we’d want to, but to be honest, there hasn’t been a backward step for her since she came into camp.
“She’s been working very heavily with [specialist coach and Edinburgh Rugby head coach] Louise Dalgliesh in terms of her scrum-half skills and I think if you ask the players in terms of what they’ve seen of her they’ll say that she’s brought that ability to break and has been putting in the work,” Butcher said.
“It’s a big step for her to come in against Canada, but looking at what she’s done already against some world class players [in training] I don’t think we’re going to have any fear when she walks onto the pitch.
Buchanan is a former England Under-20 cap who qualifies to play for the Scots via her maternal grandmother who was from the Gorbals in Glasgow.
The winger is keen to give it her best shot in dark blue and Butcher said about the 23-year-old: “This is her first campaign with us.
“She does offer us something a little bit different. We’ve got some real thoroughbreds on the wing, great finishers and Katie’s got real ability to beat people in small spaces, she’s got great feet.
“So, she does have a different element to our other wingers which is great.”
World number three side Canada will start as favourites here.
The teams last met last year at the Rugby World Cup in England, Canada eventually winning the pool game 40-19 in Exeter, but seventh in the world Scotland pushed them hard.
Scotland were knocked out of that competition at the last eight stage by England who won the event while Canada finished runners-up.
As mentioned, the home Vodafone Scotland WXV Series campaign – part of the wider WXV Global Series presented by Mitsubishi Electric featuring the top sides in the world – begins for Scotland against Canada on Saturday at the Hive before welcoming New Zealand to these shores the following weekend on September 19 and then hosting Australia on September 26.
Scotland’s away WXV Global Series fixtures will take place against Australia on October 17 and October 23.
Rhea Clarke is pictured in training recently – thanks to Peter Watt Photography
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