The two sides have formed quite a rivalry in recent times, with Wales having broken Scottish hearts at Rugby World Cup 2021 with a last-gasp victory.
Since then there have been several close encounters when they have met, which means we’re in for a
There is very little to separate Scotland and Wales in the rankings, with the Scots occupying eighth place and Wales one spot below them in ninth.
Kick-off: 14:45 BST, Saturday, 23 August
Venue: Salford Community Stadium, Manchester
From where to go before kick-off, to must-visit local attractions, check out Harriet Millar-Mills’ Rugby World Cup 2025 Guide to Manchester.
How to watch: Grab some of the few remaining tickets here.
Or check out our global guide to the TV options in your region.
Scotland team
Scotland key player: Hooker Lana Skeldon has been passed fit for the game after recovering from an ankle injury she suffered against Ireland three weeks ago. Her experience is invaluable to her side, as she is the most capped player in Scotland’s 32-player squad. Less fireworks from the hooker and more cool, calm poise to help her side stay unflappable in their tournament opener.
Wales team
Wales key player: Jasmine Joyce-Butchers is an absolute flyer on the wing for Wales. The three-time Olympian with Team GB sevens won her 50th cap for Wales against Australia in recent weeks, having become a mainstay since making her debut in 2017 against, fittingly, Scotland. Expect her to light up the field.
What they said
Scotland captain, Rachel Malcolm:
“This is always a pretty excitable bunch. We’re pretty lucky that energy isn’t something that we have to try and create out of nowhere. We’ve got a group filled with characters both on and off the pitch, so my job is gauging where I need to kind of almost temper the excitement and energy a little bit.
“Arriving at a World Cup for a lot of people it’s their first World Cup that in itself is such a buzz. For us it’s about focusing on the rugby, focusing on what we can control and so far, I can’t fault the group.”
Scotland winger, Francesca McGhie:
“I’ve been training really hard over the last couple of weeks and the summer tests were a great challenge for the girls and it was great to see the team being successful so I’m looking forward to this weekend.
“It definitely feels different to a normal tournament. It’s very exciting, we’ve been really well welcomed here and just looking forward to getting out there.”
Wales head coach, Sean Lynn:
“I’m really looking forward to it, because my first international game was against Scotland away. I finished with my club on the Sunday and then I went in on Monday and I’m in Scotland playing against Scotland. I’ve seen the history of the competitiveness and the last World Cup it came down to the wire as well.”
Wales co-captain, Kate Williams:
“Yeah, we do [have a point to prove]. I know the recent results have proven that Scotland have had the upper hand over us, but if we take context into any part of the conversation, we only had two days with [Sean Lynn] before we were playing that game against Scotland, and I think we’re a different team now.
“It’s exciting that we hit the ground running straight away in a World Cup, and I think that’s really important to build momentum from the first game. We’re looking for a performance.
“We want to be a hard team to beat. We want the opposition to think, ‘man, we’ve got Wales next – that’s going to be a massive test for us’. But we also want to play with passion, play with heart and play with confidence. I think that’s massive for our team going into a campaign which can be long.”