'Very disruptive': Scotland prepare for World Cup under huge cloud as off-field matters dominate agenda

The squad are in Italy just now preparing for a Summer Test match in Viadana on Friday evening and there should be excitement in the air, with the first game at the showpiece event coming up on August 23 versus Wales in Manchester.

However, matters off the pitch are sadly top of the agenda. It was announced last Friday that head coach Bryan Easson’s will be leaving after the tournament and the players remain locked in ongoing discussions with Scottish Rugby over contracts.

Easson has been in his role since 2020, but it was announced in a press release last Friday via the Scottish Rugby Union that he will not be in post come October.

Asked if she had known about that news for some time, Malcolm said: “Actually, I haven't been aware of it for too long, it was probably similar timings to you guys [the media] finding out, so it's obviously a shock.

“I think, for us as players, the timing of it was quite upsetting. What we have achieved in the time that Bryan has been in charge is pretty spectacular. I think the opportunity to go and do his career justice at this World Cup is definitely something that's driving us as players.”

‘Not ideal prep ahead of World Cup’

Current squad members have held talks with the governing body about their contracts post-tournament, but nothing has been resolved fully as yet and Malcolm added: “It’s not ideal prep whatsoever for a World Cup. It's been very disruptive.

“It's made my job harder as my ethos as a captain is to make my players feel like superwomen. I also want to make them feel valued and make them feel like they belong. The processes which have gone on behind the scenes have definitely done almost the opposite of those three things.

“It's definitely made my job a little bit tougher.”

Easson, whose current contract was running out after the World Cup, says that discussions over his future were “sticky”.

“We have been in discussions for a long time just to see what's happening and it's been sticky,” the man who has worked at Scottish Rugby for 25 years in various roles admitted. “I had a conversation with Alex [Williamson, the CEO] three or four weeks ago and, with my contract running out, it was felt that it was the right time to move on and that was a conversation between two adults.

“The timing of discussions and decisions are always difficult, especially when you're coming into a Rugby World Cup. I think that was probably more of a frustration than anything”.

In terms of the Italy match, second-row Emma Wassell will play for Scotland for the first time in 15 months after recovering from a tumour in her chest.

Full-back Lucia Scott, centre Evie Wills, winger Coreen Grant and second-row Adelle Ferrie also join the starting XV while uncapped stand-off Hannah Ramsay could debut from the bench.