‘Outstanding opportunity’ sees Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors launch women’s teams in Celtic Challenge

Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors have launched women’s teams for the first time in what is being described as “an outstanding opportunity” for the sport to develop in Scotland.

Scotland were represented by the Thistles composite side in last season's Celtic Challenge competition. The next edition will feature Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors women's teams. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

They will compete in the Celtic Challenge, a six-team tournament which also includes sides from Ireland and Wales. Their first match will be against each other at Hive Stadium in Edinburgh on Saturday, December 30 at noon, ahead of the 1872 Cup second leg between the men’s Edinburgh and Glasgow teams at 3pm.

Scottish Rugby made a £2.5 million investment in delivering its ‘Women & Girls strategy’ last year, including awarding 28 full-time contracts to senior players for the Scotland Women squad in December 2022. The impact has been quickly felt, with the national side winning the WXV2 tournament in South Africa and going on a run of six consecutive victories. The next stage is the Edinburgh and Glasgow women’s teams which is being seen as a stepping stone towards semi-professional sides.

“The decision to align our Celtic Challenge teams to Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors presents a fantastic opportunity to provide our two teams with a strong individual identity and sense of belonging, whilst also tapping into each club’s current fan base,” said Gemma Fay, Scottish Rugby’s Head of Women’s & Girls’ Strategy.

“This branding alignment plays a fundamental part in progressing our Women’s and Girls’ Strategy, and as the Celtic Challenge competition develops, we look forward to the prospect of that alignment being taken further as we continue to build towards semi-professional teams in the future.”

The two news teams will wear the same colours as the men’s sides.

Douglas Struth, Edinburgh Rugby’s managing director, said: “It’s fantastic to have a side representing the capital in the Celtic Challenge, and to see a women’s team competing under the Edinburgh Rugby banner for the first time.

“It’s a big development for the wider sport and women’s rugby in Scotland generally, and stepping stone towards semi-professional sides in the future, with the exciting prospect of our first match being part of an inter-city double header with Glasgow Warriors on 30 December. I’d encourage the Edinburgh faithful to get behind the team and support us in our first match against Glasgow.”

Al Kellock, his counterpart at Glasgow Warriors, added: “We’re extremely excited to be able to expand our club with the launch of our first-ever women’s team; it’s an outstanding opportunity for us to help to further the development of the next generation of Scottish rugby talent, and showcase this club to a new audience.”

This will be the second season of the Celtic Challenge but it will be played in a new format. The first edition saw Scottish rugby represented by one team, a composite side called the Thistles. The remaining four teams this season will be the Wolfhounds and Clovers, from Ireland, and Brython Thunder and Gwalia Lightning, from Wales. The competition will be made up of five rounds, before three double-header play-off rounds determine who will be champions. Glasgow Warriors first home game will be against Wolfhounds at Scotstoun in Round 3 on Saturday 13 January at 2pm.

Details of the Edinburgh and Glasgow coaching teams have yet to be announced.