Finn Russell among notable Scotland squad omissions as 10 uncapped players called up for summer tour

In naming 10 uncapped players in his 37-man squad, Gregor Townsend will use this summer’s tour of North and South Americas to blood new talent in the Test arena alongside a core of battle-hardened campaigners.

Nathan McBeth, Patrick Harrison, Robbie Smith, Will Hurd, Max Williamson, Ewan Johnson, Gregor Brown, Gus Warr, Arron Reed and Matt Currie have never played before for Scotland but will be given their opportunity on the four-match trip which begins with a match against Canada in Ottawa on July 6, and continues with games against the United States (Washington, July 12), Chile (Santiago, July 20) and Uruguay (Montevideo, July 27).

Alongside the uncapped octet are experienced Scotland men Rory Darge, Luke Crosbie, Javan Sebastian, Elliot Millar-Mills, Ewan Ashman, Rory Sutherland, Ben Healy, Harry Paterson, George Horne, Kyle Rowe, Stafford McDowall, Duhan van der Merwe, Sione Tuipulotu, Matt Fagerson, Pierre Schoeman, Scott Cummings and Kyle Steyn.

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has named a 37-man squad for the Americas summer tour. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

Notable omissions include Finn Russell, Blair Kinghorn, Ben White, Zander Fagerson, George Turner, Richie Gray, Grant Gilchrist, Jack Dempsey and Darcy Graham, the latter having missed most of the season through injury. Given the long season that began with a World Cup training camp in May 2023, it was expected than a number of senior players would be rested.

There is a recall for Adam Hastings, the Glasgow-bound stand-off, and South Africa-based Dylan Richardson, who made his Scotland debut back in 2021 against Japan as a back-rower but can also play hooker.

Arguably the most intriguing of the new faces is Johnson. The lock is a product of Parisian secondary school Fac d’Orsay, and was part of the Racing 92 academy. He made his senior Racing debut against Lyon in the Top 14 in September 2019, then spent three seasons at Vannes before joining Oyonnax for the 2023-24 season. He has made 16 appearances in all competitions this season for the team from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. He qualifies for Scotland through his father from Bathgate, and featured for Scotland U20 in 2018 and 2019.

He played alongside Rory Sutherland at Oyonnax and the experienced prop from Hawick is also in the touring squad.

There are three Glasgow Warriors players among the 10 new boys, reflecting the club’s impressive season, with forwards McBeth, Williamson and Brown all selected.Warr, the Sale Sharks scrum-half, is selected for the first time. Born in Manchester, he qualifies through his Scottish mother and has played at under-20 level for both Scotland and England.

His Sale team-mate, Reed, is also included. The pacy winger was part of the Six Nations squad but never played and will now get his opportunity to wear dark blue for the first time.

Alongside Richardson, there are two new hookers in Harrison, of Edinburgh, and Smith, of Northampton Saints. Harrison has made only three substitute appearances this season. Smith, 25, who is from Dumfries and came through Glasgow Warriors’ Academy set-up, is rewarded after being a semi-regular off the bench for Northampton during the Saints’ march to the English title. Hurd, the Leicester Tigers prop, wins a recall after injury forced him out of the Six Nations squad. Currie, the Edinburgh centre, is also included after a fine season.

During the last two weeks of the tour, three development players will join the squad as “a learning opportunity and to bolster training”. Tighthead prop Fin Richardson, who has signed for Glasgow Warriors next season, will be joined by his new team-mate, scrum-half Ben Afshar. Edinburgh lock Rob Carmichael will also be added to the group for the final two weeks.

The tour is being sponsored by the Edinburgh-based online travel brand Skyscanner.Skyscanner Americas Tour

Saturday 6 July: Canada v Scotland (TD Place, Ottawa)

Friday 12 July: USA v Scotland (Audi Field, Washington DC)

Saturday 20 July: Chile v Scotland (Estadio Nacional, Santiago)

Saturday 27 July: Uruguay v Scotland (Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo)Scotland Summer Tour Squad:

Forwards

Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh Rugby) 17 caps

Josh Bayliss (Bath Rugby) 5 caps

Gregor Brown (Glasgow Warriors) uncapped

Alex Craig (Scarlets) 2 caps

Luke Crosbie (Edinburgh Rugby) 8 caps

Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors) 38 caps

Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors) 19 caps

Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) 44 caps

Patrick Harrison (Edinburgh Rugby) uncapped

Will Hurd (Leicester Tigers) uncapped

Ewan Johnson (Oyonnax Rugby) uncapped

Nathan McBeth (Glasgow Warriors) uncapped

Elliot Millar-Mills (Northampton Saints) 3 caps

Javan Sebastian (Edinburgh Rugby) 8 caps

Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby) 31 caps

Robbie Smith (Northampton Saints) uncapped

Rory Sutherland (Oyonnax Rugby) 30 caps

Dylan Richardson (The Sharks) 1 cap

Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh Rugby) 49 caps

Murphy Walker (Glasgow Warriors) 3 caps

Max Williamson (Glasgow Warriors) uncapped

Glen Young (Edinburgh Rugby) 3 capsBacks

Matt Currie (Edinburgh Rugby) uncapped

Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors) 2 caps

Adam Hastings (Gloucester Rugby) 26 caps

Ben Healy (Edinburgh Rugby) 5 caps

George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) 30 caps

Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) 48 caps

Stafford McDowall (Glasgow Warriors) 2 caps

Harry Paterson (Edinburgh Rugby) 1 cap

Arron Reed (Sale Sharks) uncapped

Kyle Rowe (Glasgow Warriors) 4 caps

Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors) 19 caps

Ross Thompson (Glasgow Warriors) 3 caps

Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors) 25 caps

Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby) 39 caps

Gus Warr (Sale Sharks) uncapped