Scotland to kick off summer tour against New Zealand Maori

Scotland will face New Zealand Maori during their summer tour to the Southern Hemisphere next year.

The contest at Semenoff Stadium in Whangarei on Saturday, July 5 will kick off a tour that also includes two Tests against Pacific Islands sides, with those fixtures yet to be confirmed.

Scotland have not faced New Zealand Maori since 2000, when the hosts edged a close encounter in New Plymouth.

Scotland coach Gregor Townsend believes the opportunity will be important for his fringe players, saying: “This year’s summer tour (to the Americas) was of great benefit, enabling us to deepen our player pool and test ourselves against challenging opposition.

“A number of the players that won their first caps on tour then played in the Autumn Nations Series and are challenging for places in our Six Nations squad.

“Next year’s tour represents an opportunity to take on two quality Test teams in the Pacific Islands, which is always a unique tour for our players to experience on and off the field.

“The New Zealand Maori game will set us up for the physical challenges we’ll face later on the tour. We are excited about returning to a part of the world where rugby is central to their culture.”