Scotland announce training squad for 2023 Rugby World Cup

The group will be led by captain Jamie Ritchie and will be trimmed to the requisite 33-player list ahead of the tournament itself, which gets underway in France in September.

Of the 23 forwards selected by Townsend, flanker Rory Darge returns to the international set-up having missed the Guinness Six Nations through injury, with winger Darcy Graham also returning as one of 18 backs named, again having been unavailable through injury since the turn of the year.

A consistency of selection means that there are only two uncapped players in the training squad: second row Cameron Henderson and centre Stafford McDowall.

There is plenty of experience with four players - WP Nel, Grant Gilchrist, Finn Russell and recent cap centurion Stuart Hogg - aiming to represent Scotland at a third Rugby World Cup (all featured in 2015 and 2019).

Overall, there are 17 players from Glasgow Warriors, 15 from Edinburgh Rugby and nine who ply their trade outside of Scotland.

The 41-player group will gather for an initial training camp on 29 May to begin preparations for warm-up matches in the Famous Grouse Nations Series against France, Italy and Georgia at BT Murrayfield in July and August. Scotland also play France in an away warm-up in St. Etienne in August.

The Rugby World Cup itself will see Scotland compete in Pool B alongside South Africa, Ireland, Tonga and Romania, with a first fixture against the world champion Springboks on Sunday 10 September in Marseille.

Scotland are back in action when they face Italy, France and Georgia in The Famous Grouse Nations Series at BT Murrayfield this July and August.

Scotland training squad for Rugby World Cup 2023Forwards (23)

Ewan Ashman (Sale Sharks) 7 capsJamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors) 28 capsDave Cherry (Edinburgh Rugby) 8 capsAndy Christie (Saracens) 4 capsLuke Crosbie (Edinburgh Rugby) 4 capsScott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors) 25 capsRory Darge (Glasgow Warriors) 7 capsJack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors) 9 capsMatt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) 33 capsZander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) 58 capsGrant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby) 62 capsRichie Gray (Glasgow Warriors) 73 capsCameron Henderson (Leicester Tigers) uncappedStuart McInally (Edinburgh Rugby) 47 capsWP Nel (Edinburgh Rugby) 54 capsJamie Ritchie (Edinburgh Rugby) - CAPTAIN - 41 capsPierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby) 21 capsJavan Sebastian (Scarlets) 3 capsSam Skinner (Edinburgh Rugby) 25 capsRory Sutherland (Ulster Rugby) 23 capsGeorge Turner (Glasgow Warriors) 35 capsMurphy Walker (Glasgow Warriors) 2 capsHamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby) 57 caps

Backs (18)

Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors) 1 capDarcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby) 33 capsChris Harris (Gloucester Rugby) 42 capsAdam Hastings (Gloucester Rugby) 27 capsBen Healy (Munster Rugby) 1 capsStuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs) 100 capsGeorge Horne (Glasgow Warriors) 20 capsHuw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) 36 capsBlair Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby) 43 capsStafford McDowall (Glasgow Warriors) uncappedAli Price (Glasgow Warriors) 61 capsCameron Redpath (Bath Rugby) 5 capsFinn Russell (Racing 92) 69 capsOllie Smith (Glasgow Warriors) 3 capsKyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors) 10 capsSione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors) 16 capsDuhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby) 28 capsBen White (London Irish) 14 caps