SCOTLAND will play against Italy, France twice and then Georgia this summer as their warm-up matches ahead of this autumn’s World Cup in France, with three of these matches to be played at Murrayfield and the venue for the second French match still to be confirmed.
Scotland’s 2023 Summer Test Schedule (kick-off times TBC):
- Scotland v Italy on Saturday 29th July @ BT Murrayfield
- Scotland v France on Saturday 5th August @ BT Murrayfield
- France v Scotland on Saturday 12th August @ TBC
- Scotland v Georgia on Saturday 26th August @ BT Murrayfield
The World Cup kicks off on 8th September, with Scotland’s first match being played two days later on 10th September against reigning champions South Africa in Marseille. Their other pool matches are against Tonga in Nice on 24th September, Romania in Lille on 30th September and Ireland at Stade de France (Paris) on 7th October.
“2023 is a huge year for our national team and after the Guinness 6 Nations our focus will quickly turn to the Rugby World Cup,” said head coach Gregor Townsend, who has apparently enquired about taking over as France’s attack coach after the World Cup according to respected French newspaper Midi Olympique.
“All four fixtures will provide invaluable experiences in our preparation for the tournament. Having the opportunity to play at home on three occasions before we depart will enable our players to feel the backing of our supporters ahead of setting off for the World Cup.
“The match against France away from home will be very important as we are going to spend time at our training base for the World Cup in Nice prior to the match and replicate the schedule our players will experience during the tournament itself.”
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