Scotland rugby captain Rachel Malcolm says she is “incredibly proud” after it was confirmed that the upcoming home match versus England will attract the largest crowd ever recorded for a standalone women’s sporting event in this country.
With more than 19,000 tickets sold, the attendance for the fixture in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations on April 18 at Scottish Gas Murrayfield will eclipse the long-standing national benchmark of 18,555 set by Scotland women’s football team at Hampden against Jamaica in 2019.
In 2024 a sold-out crowd of 7,774 at Hive Stadium watched Scotland face England, setting a then-record attendance for the national rugby team.
Malcolm said: “In 2024 we played England at home in front of a record crowd and that felt like a real step forward for women’s rugby in Scotland.
“Then, at the Rugby World Cup last summer in England, we experienced what was possible on an even bigger stage, playing in front of 27,000 fans at Ashton Gate against England in the quarter-finals.
“To now be bringing that sense of occasion to Murrayfield, with 19,000 fans and counting, shows the momentum that’s building around this team and women’s sport more broadly. I cannot thank our fans enough for this huge show of support already.
“It’s an incredibly proud moment for us as players, but it also comes with the responsibility to honour those who’ve backed us, to inspire the next generation and to help ensure that moments like this become part of the future of Scottish rugby, not just standout occasions.”
Scottish Rugby’s managing director of women’s rugby Gemma Fay added: “I think that what excites us most is that about three quarters of the ticket purchases for the upcoming England game are from Scottish supporters.
“For me that is really exciting in terms of who’s going to be there on the day, but also long-term it has to be our aspiration that we bring regular fixtures into Murrayfield for the women’s team.
“Over 19,000 fans have already shown that there’s an absolute appetite for women’s sport and for women’s rugby in Scotland.
“I think our players have shown what they’re capable of and this is the kind of arena that we should be showcasing them on when we can.
“I think if we can fill the lower bowl and get up to 30,000 by game day that would be really special.”
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- The Scotland’s under-21s are scheduled to play England at Hive Stadium at 11am before the national teams clash at Murrayfield at 1.30pm on April 18.
Scottish Gas Murrayfield is pictured – thanks to Scottish Rugby