Scotland interim women’s head coach Dave Butcher is backing Leia Brebner-Holden and Katie Buchanan to make an impact after naming them in the starting XV to take on Australia in Sydney this weekend.
The WXV Global Series Test on Saturday at the Accor Stadium (2am UK time, live on RugbyPass TV) will kick off a quadruple header on the day and will be followed by a men’s sevens match between Australia and Fiji, a women’s sevens match between Australia and New Zealand and then the Wallabies against the All Blacks in the second men’s Bledisloe Cup Test of 2026.
Three weeks ago, Australia beat Scotland 30-10 in Edinburgh after the Scots were 10-5 up at half-time.
Scotland have now lost seven Tests in a row in all competitions and just have this game and the one in Canberra next Friday against the Wallaroos to play as they look to end 2026 on a high note.
For the Sydney match, scrum-half Leia Brebner-Holden and winger Katie Buchanan have come into the starting team and Butcher said: “After injury, Leia had to come back in our last game and prove she was bringing some form back onto the field.
“And we felt when she came into the game off the bench she really offered a lot of speed at the break down and she’s a very physical scrum-half.
“With the way we want to play in this game and the direction we are going we felt that she warranted a start here.
“And Katie brings a slightly different threat in attack to Shona Campbell and we felt that a change on that wing for this Test was going to be favourable for how we want to attack.
“Every time she’s come off the bench recently she’s been an absolute ball of energy and she deserves the chance to start.”
With those two coming in, Ceitidh Ainsworth and Shona Campbell revert to the bench while, if she gets on, Chloe Rollie will become just the third Scotland women’s player to reach the 90-cap milestone after Donna Kennedy (115) and Lana Skeldon (set to win cap 91 in this game).
Brebner-Holden, the 24-year-old now of Edinburgh Rugby, will be earning cap 22 in the game with 23-year-old Buchanan of Exeter Chiefs earning cap number four and making a first international start.
Scotland captain Rachel Malcolm said: “I think for me, having someone like Leah Brebner-Holden coming in to start is massive as a leader. She takes a huge amount off my shoulders in terms of how she controls the game and how she bosses us around as a pack in particular.
“But, also, she has that ability to take players on. She’s super aggressive both sides of the ball and she’s got attributes that many flankers despite being a nine so to have someone like that bring that extra edge to our game is going to be massive.
“And Katie’s been brilliant since she came into the group at the start of this WXV competition.
“People talk about professionalism in terms of the financial aspect but for me, professionalism in terms of behaviours is probably the most important bit and I think Katie’s come in and been just a complete professional.
“You can tell she’s come from a good set-up at Exeter and she carries herself well, she’s mature well beyond her years.
“She’s got a brilliant rugby brain and she’s brilliant with the ball in hand.
“What she’s shown off the bench in all three Tests so far in WXV is just how dangerous she can be and we want to attack this game from minute one so I think to have her on the pitch is going to be brilliant for us.”
Scotland’s away WXV Global Series fixtures take place against Australia on October 17 and October 23.
- The Scotland women’s rugby league team are away to the Netherlands on Saturday.
Leia Brebner-Holden and Katie Buchanan are pictured training in Australia – thanks to Scottish Rugby
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