Rugby: Scotland announce Tonga Test at Pittodrie

SCOTLAND will play Tonga at Aberdeen Football Club’s Pittodrie Stadium on November 24, the Scottish Rugby Union have announced.

Andy Robinson’s side are currently preparing to face Samoa in Apia on Saturday, and, having beaten Fiji last Saturday, will soon face further opposition from the South Sea Islands. The match will kick-off at 3pm.

The Tonga Test, which sees Scotland return to Pittodrie two years after hosting Samoa there, completes the EMC Autumn Test series, which also features matches against New Zealand (November 11) and South Africa (November 17), which both take place at Murrayfield.

Head coach Robinson said: “It’s tremendous to be returning to Aberdeen. There’s a passion for the national team in the north-east of Scotland which was very evident when we played Samoa two years ago.

“I know the lengths supporters go to travel to Murrayfield for matches and I firmly support the initiative of the national team taking the game to other parts of the country when we can.”

Scotland have played at Pittodrie three times in recent years - in a non-cap game with the Barbarians in 2005, against Canada in 2008 and Samoa in 2010 - and are unbeaten in those fixtures.