The very first Scotland national rugby union team can be traced back to the 1870s. This was when the first official international game was played against England – now a fierce rival – at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh, in which the Scots came out on top.
In the years since this first victory, the Scotland rugby team has amassed a number of titles and famous wins. This includes various trophies within the Six Nations Championship. However, the Scots have yet to win the tournament in the modern era of the Six Nations; Scotland secured all of their titles during the Home Nations and Five Nations Championship eras.
Scotland secured their latest title in 1999, when they won the last edition of the Five Nations Championship. More recently, the squad has delivered some truly phenomenal performances. This led to Scotland being ranked at number five in the World Rugby Rankings in both 2018 and 2023.
Scotland Rugby Players
There are currently four past and present Scotland rugby players who feature in the International Rugby Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, eight players have been inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame. This roster includes legendary names like former Scotland captain Andy Irvine and former British Lions captain Gavin Hastings.
The country’s other rugby icons include centurions Ross Ford, Chris Paterson, Sean Lamont and Stuart Hogg. Meanwhile, the current Scotland rugby squad features a number of renowned players such as fly-half Finn Russell, winger Duhan van der Merwe and scrum-half Ali Price.