Rugby news: Scot exits Newcastle Red Bulls, U20 captain returns, pro legend retires

Ex-Scotland man departs Newcastle Red Bulls

Scott MacLeod, the former Scotland international, is to leave his coaching role at Newcastle Red Bulls.

The 24-times capped ex-lock who specialises in lineout work will go at the end of the season as part of a coaching reshuffle. Head coach Alan Dickens announced last week that he was to part company with the club at the end of the current campaign.

Newcastle Falcons were bought over by Red Bull last summer and renamed. The energy drink giant, which employs Scotland coach Gregor Townsend as its rugby consultant’, is investing heavily in Newcastle.

Dan McFarland, a former Scotland assistant coach, has been linked with the head coach’s job and Townsend himself has also been tipped for a role at the club, although he denied last week that he had signed any contract with them.

A statement issued by Newcastle regarding MacLeod, said: “Scott has done an outstanding job to improve our line-out during his time with us and is a highly regarded coach, as well as being a very well respected individual.

“Our incoming staff, who will be announced in due course, have strong experience in the areas Scott has been coaching. It’s an unfortunate consequence that Scott will move on as a result, but this in no way diminishes the value we place upon the work he is doing.”

Scotland’s first women’s pro rugby player to retire

Scotland great Jade Konkel is to retire at the end of the season.

Konkel, 32, won 74 caps and made history in 2016 when she became the first woman to sign a professional contract with Scottish Rugby.

She played in two Rugby World Cups and stepped away from international rugby after the 2025 tournament when she wasn’t offered a new contract by Murrayfield chiefs.

The Harlequins captain has now announced that this will be her last season in the game.

“This is just my last chapter,” she said. “I'm here for this season, all in, chasing standards and chasing success with this group. When it's over, I want to know the tank is well and truly empty.”

The back-row forward, who combined her rugby with a career as a firefighter, was twice named Women's Player of the Season at Quins.

Under-20 captain back to lead Scotland against England

Scotland Under-20 captain Ross Wolfenden will return to the side for Friday’s U20 Six Nations match against England U20 at Hive Stadium in Edinburgh.

The Edinburgh Rugby player will start at inside centre after missing Scotland’s U20 win over Italy in their opening match of the tournament last Friday due to a head injury. He takes the place of Henry Kesterton who was injured in the match in Treviso.

Head coach Fergus Pringle has made one other change to his Scotland side, with Jamie Stewart, who came off the bench at tighthead prop on Friday, moving across the scrum to start at loosehead in place of Oliver McKenna who drops to the bench.

Jake Dalziel, 17, player of the match in the 36-10 win in Italy, continues at stand-off.

Scotland U20 team (v England U20, U20 Six Nations, Hive Stadium, Edinburgh, Friday, 7.15pm GMT):

15. Henry Widdowson (Edinburgh), 14. Nairn Moncrieff (Edinburgh), 13. Campbell Waugh (Glasgow Hawks), 12. Ross Wolfenden (Edinburgh, capt), 11. Rory McHaffie (Edinburgh), 10. Jake Dalziel (Merchiston Castle School/Melrose), 9. Hamish MacArthur (Edinburgh), 1. Jamie Stewart (Edinburgh), 2. Joe Roberts (Glasgow, vice-capt), 3. Ollie Blyth-Lafferty (Edinburgh), 4. Christian Lindsay (Edinburgh), 5. Alfie Blackett (Cardiff Metropolitan Univ), 6. Sam Byrd (Edinburgh), 7. Jack Utterson (Edinburgh), 8. Rory Purvis (Glasgow).

Replacements: 16. Jamie McAughtrie (Ayr), 17. Oliver McKenna (Glasgow), 18. Jackson Rennie (Glasgow), 19. Fin Ronnie (Watsonians RFC), 20. Harvey Preston (Glasgow Hawks), 21. Oliver Finlayson-Russell (Univ of St Andrews), 22. Adam McKenzie (Watsonians), 23. Calum Jessop (Heriot’s).