April 18 is shaping up to be a ‘Super Saturday’ of women’s rugby action in Edinburgh with Scotland’s under-21s now scheduled to play England at Hive Stadium at 11am before the national teams clash at Murrayfield at 1.30pm.
Following the success of the U20 Women’s Summer Series over the last few years, the Six Nations has introduced a Women’s U21 Series which will place in April and May this year.
Evolving from the Six Nations Summer Series format, where all six countries would compete in a week-long festival format, in 2026 and 2027 teams will now take part in two home fixtures and one away fixture or vice versa.
The format change is designed to echo the training week and travel element of the elite tournament and to better prepare players for the rhythm of the Women’s Six Nations.
As per previous years, unions can select up to five under-23 players, bringing the age profile of players closer to that of the Women’s Six Nations to further enhance the opportunities for graduation into the elite game after relevant experience.
To align the elite and pathway competitions even further, round one of the Six Nations Women’s U21 Series fixtures in 2026 will correlate with round two of the Women’s Six Nations, offering a weekend of double headers in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Galway and the opportunity for fans to attend two fixtures in one day given the proximity of venues to each other in respective cities.
Andy Rhys Jones, Scottish Rugby’s head of women’s performance and pathways said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to align the pathway fixtures and performance standards more closely with the senior competition.
“Over the last few years the series has proven to be an important platform for player development and this enhanced format offers an even greater opportunity to challenge and stretch players in a high-quality, competitive environment. We’re excited to see the next generation of players step forward and embrace this experience.”
More information on the Scottish under-21 programme – including coaching, squads and ticketing – will be announced in due course.
Scotland’s Women’s U21 Series fixtures in 2026
England on Saturday, April 18 at 11am at Hive Stadium
France on Saturday, May 2 at TBC, at Stade Maurice Trelut, Tarbes
Italy on Sunday, May 10 at 1pm at Hive Stadium
Scotland under-20s are pictured singing the national anthem during the 2025 U20 Women’s Summer Series