Scotland extended Women’s Rugby World Cup training squad member Eva Donaldson is on the move from Leicester Tigers to PWR rivals Sale Sharks.
The 23-year-old second-row won her last of 15 international caps to date in the last game of the WXV 2 tournament in South Africa versus Australia last year, but was in and around the group during the Guinness Women’s Six Nations.
She is now in Edinburgh as one of 38 aiming to make Scotland’s 32-player squad for the World Cup in England in August and September and, after that, she will join up with Sale after two seasons at Leicester.
Eva said: “I love that Sale Sharks is genuinely one club. The men and women are in the same building and everyone at the club is so friendly and welcoming.
“That was a big factor in wanting to join the club and so was the coaching group.
I really enjoyed working with Sharks head coach Tom Hudson and scrum coach Luke Stratford at Leicester and I feel they really helped my development as a player in all aspects of my game.
“Tom loves to understand how each player works and he really cares. I’m really looking forward to being coached by them both again.
“Our team in the 2025/26 season will be quite new and we know it’ll take time for us all to gel, but there’s so much talent and ambition at the club and I know we can achieve big things together.
“I’m excited about being with Scotland just now, but I’m really looking forward to everyone getting back to Sale in a few months to see what we can do together too.”
Donaldson has signed a two-year deal at her new club and her rugby journey began when she was a pupil at McLaren High School in Callander.
She then played for Stirling County at under-15 and 18 levels before playing for Edinburgh University and then Leicester. Her Scotland debut was in early 2022 versus Colombia in Dubai and she was a late call up to the World Cup in New Zealand later that year.
Sale Sharks head coach Tom Hudson said: “We want the set piece to be a huge part of our DNA next season and Eva is certainly the next piece of that puzzle.
“She has worked incredibly hard over the last few seasons to really master her lineout calling and make it her own. I hope she continues to do that here at Sale.
“Alongside her set piece expertise, Eva has an incredible ability to maintain the highest level of energy and application training session after training session come rain, wind or snow. This can only enhance the northern grit mentality that already runs through this club.”
Tickets for Scotland-England at Murrayfield in April 2026 can be purchased here.
Eva Donaldson is pictured
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