Scotland coach Claire Cruikshank can’t wait for inaugural Women’s Summer Series

By Sebastian Barrett

Scotland coach Claire Cruikshank says the excitement is palpable as her aspiring young charges kick-start their international careers in the inaugural Women’s Summer Series.

The first women’s Under-20s tournament of its kind runs from 4th-14th July in Parma with Scotland taking on hosts Italy, France, and Ireland across three mouth-watering matchdays.

The world-renowned opera house, Teatro Regio di Parma, was the setting for the tournament launch – with its Neoclassical architecture and Corinthian columns a pleasing contrast between the old and new – and boss Cruikshank believes an enthralling new chapter awaits her young stars.

“It’s about learning, for players and coaches to find out where we are in our development and where Scottish rugby is,” said Cruikshank.

“It’s a missing piece in the pathway for players who may have missed out on U18s, for example. It’s an opportunity to play international rugby, so this is brilliant. You want to give the players the chance to experience this now before [they compete in senior international competitions].”

Co-captain Hannah Walker said she was looking forward to Scotland putting all their hard work on the pitch this month at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi: “We want to show what we’ve been doing in training.

“We’ve had plenty of support from back home, while a lot of families are coming out to watch us, so there will be some Scottish noise in the crowd! On a personal note, I’ve benefited a lot from taking on this leadership role too.”

Joining an incredible summer of sport, the series stands to showcase the future stars of the international women’s game. Round one kicks off on Thursday 4th July, with France taking on Wales, before England face Ireland, and then Italy host Scotland in the late kick-off. The remaining matchdays will take place on the 9th and 14th of July.

To celebrate the debut of soon-to-be stars of the game, the Women’s Summer Series will recognise the best individual performer from each team with a new Most Valuable Player Award (MVP).

Fans all over the world will be able to follow all the action, via exclusive coverage on the Six Nations U20 YouTube channel, with commentary in English (and Italian for the matches featuring Italy). Supporting coverage will also be provided across the dedicated Six Nations U20 social media channels.

Commenting on the Women’s Summer Series, Six Nations Chief of Rugby, Julie Paterson said: “This is a new and exciting development opportunity for young players, coaches, and officials to gain experience on the international stage.

“As a key strategic pillar of Six Nations Rugby, its unions and federations, the intention is to nurture the growth of the women’s game in a sustainable and engaging way for the players.

“The addition of the Women’s Summer Series, as a new step on the development pathway, is also part of the commitment to give these athletes a clear line of sight on when, where and how they can gain international experience and honours.”

The Women’s Summer Series is available to fans all over the world via exclusive coverage on the Six Nations U20 YouTube channels, with supporting coverage across dedicated U20 Six Nations social media channels.