Scottish Rugby

BBC Scotland's chief sportswriter Tom English has been answering some of your Scottish rugby questions

Craig asked: Is Sean Everitt the coach to take Edinburgh forward. I'm still very much in the no camp.

Tom answered: It's a harder question to answer now than it might have been a few months ago. Edinburgh made the semi-final of Europe and are now in the quarter-final of the URC, albeit having made very hard work of it.

On the face of it, that's okay. If they were to go to Pretoria and win then that's a landmark victory. I don't rule it out. Edinburgh have a lot more steel to them nowadays and their games with the Bulls tend to be close.

I don't think he's going anywhere in that scenario. I doubt he's going anywhere even if they lose, to be honest.

Everybody will have their own view on this but I think he deserves another season, just to see if the more resilient Edinburgh we're seeing now can start next term the way they're finishing this one.

Alistair asked: Do we chalk down Edinburgh's seventh place in the URC as a disappointment or what we should reasonably expect?

Tom answered: It's disappointing they came so close to exiting the competition, that's for sure.

Seventh is too hairy for a club with Edinburgh's potential. I don't think it's too much to expect them to be a lot closer to fourth (and a home quarter-final) than eighth.

Hopey asked: Are there any young players that might make it on to the summer tour? I take it as given that Freddie Douglas travels.

Tom answered: Yeah, plenty. Freddy Douglas definitely travels. I'd be taking a serious look at Seb Stephen, Mackenzie Duncan, Jare Oguntibeju, Gregor Hiddleston, Alex Samuel, Duncan Munn, Patrick Harrison, Harry Paterson, Ollie Blyth-Lafferty and others. This is the tour for it - part experience, part development.

Ethan asked: What a debut for Seb Stephen, going to the Aviva holding his own against a current and former Lion! Could Stephen have played himself into the matchday 23 for Glasgow's quarter-final?

Tom answered: I suspect Franco Smith will go with his experienced hookers, but I might be wrong.

Stephen's outstanding performance against the best team in the league will give him plenty to think about, though. He nailed his throws and had a real physicality and intensity to him.

I was kinda gobsmacked, to be honest. He was up against Dan Sheehan, arguably the best hooker in the world. He was throwing against RG Snyman and James Ryan in the Leinster lineout - a World Cup winner and a 2025 Lion. For a 19-year-old, it was as good a debut as I've seen.

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Scotland back-row Matt Fagerson is vowing "to keep pushing and keep developing" after g a contract extension that will keep the 26-year-old at Glasgow Warriors for another three years.

Fagerson has been with the Scotstoun club since 2016 and made his international debut in 2018.

He has scored 24 tries in 126 appearances for Glasgow and his tally of Scotland caps now stands at 55.

"I really want to push myself and win more trophies, not only with Glasgow but for Scotland as well," Fagerson told the Warriors' website., external "I know I've got more to give and more levels I want to reach in my own game.

"I came in here with a lot of ambition but possibly lacking in physical ability or rugby smarts, and this club has shaped me into the person and player I am today.

"I'm nowhere near the finished article, though – I want to keep pushing on and keep developing in all aspects of my game.

"The [United Rugby Championship] title win in Pretoria last season is obviously right up at the top in of highlights from my time here so far – the manner in which we did it and the group that we did it with was something I'll for the rest of my life."

Head Coach Franco Smith added: "Matt's pride at representing this club shines through in each of his performances.

"His ability to play across the back-row is a valuable asset to our squad, whilst his ball-carrying ability allows him to provide a true point of difference whenever he is on the field.

"He is a role model to our young Scottish forwards coming through our academy system, and we look forward to working closely with him over the next few years."

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Glasgow Warriors will kick off the 2025-26 URC season at home to South African side Sharks on Friday 26 September, while Edinburgh open with a trip to face Zebre in Parma the following day.

Edinburgh's first home game comes in week two against Ulster as Glasgow head to Treviso to tackle Benetton.

The 1872 Cup derby between the Scottish sides is to be staged at Hampden Park and Murrayfield on 20 and 27 December respectively.

Three of Glasgow's final four fixtures are on the road, with a South Africa double-header against Lions and Stormers followed by Cardiff at Scotstoun and Ulster away.

Edinburgh's South Africa trip comes in March before they end the campaign with home games against Zebre and Sharks, a trip to face Dragons and Connacht at the Hive.

The competition format remains unchanged, with the top eight progressing to the play-offs, which start on 29 May. The semi-finals take place on 6 June and the final is on 20 June.

Glasgow's 2025-26 fixtures: Sharks (H) 26 Sept; Benetton (A) 4 Oct; Dragons (H) 11 Oct; Opspreys (A) 18 Oct; Bulls (H) 24 Oct; Scarlets (A) 29 Nov; Edinburgh (H) 20 Dec; Edinburgh (A) 27 December; Zebre (H) 3 Jan; Zebre (A) 24 Jan; Munster (H) 30 Jan; Connacht (A) 28 Feb; Leinster (H) 21 Mar; Benetton (H) 27 Mar; Lions (A) 18 Apr; Stormers (A) 25 Apr; Cardiff (H) 8 May; Ulster (A) 15 May.

Edinburgh's 2025-26 fixtures: Zebre (A) 27 Sept; Ulster (H) 3 Oct; Munster (A) 10 Oct; Benetton (H) 17 Oct; Cardiff (A) 25 Oct; Ospreys (H) 29 Nov; Glasgow (A) 20 Dec; Glasgow (H) 27 Dec; Benetton (A) 3 Jan; Bulls (H) 23 Jan; Leinster (A) 31 Jan; Scarlets (H) 27 Feb; Lions (A) 21 Mar; Stormers (A) 28 Mar; Zebre (H) 17 Apr; Sharks (H) 24 Apr; Dragons (A) 9 May; Connacht (H) 15 May.

Hollie Davidson - who will make history on Friday as the first woman to referee a European final - s the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast this week to discuss her rise from crushed dreams of playing to becoming a top referee.

There's also a look back at the weekend URC action as Edinburgh secured a play-off spot and Glasgow went down to a battling defeat at Leinster.

Listen and subscribe on BBC Sounds

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Melbourne-born Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu is relishing the pressure of proving his international allegiance for the British and Irish Lions.

Amid ongoing debate about the selection of foreign-born players, the Glasgow centre is set to line up against his native Australia during this summer's Lions tour.

Tuipulotu, who made his Scotland debut in 2021, is among seven of Andy Farrell's 38-man Lions squad who hail from overseas.

While five of those players are eligible for their adopted nations purely on residency rules, Tuipulotu qualified through ancestry.

The 28-year-old's Greenock-born grandmother was at Murrayfield last autumn to see him score a try while leading Scotland to a 27-13 defeat of the Wallabies.

"I put so much on myself that I really wanted to be a Lion because I know how much it means to people over here," said Tuipulotu, who initially feared his tour participation may be ruined by injury.

"I had gone all in with the stuff with Scotland and I just felt what better way to prove my allegiance to Scotland than go all in and try and make the Lions. That's why it meant so much to me.

"Genuinely early days you have that feeling of 'Am I part of this">