Finn Russell and Rory Darge have 90 Scotland caps between them
Finn Russell and Rory Darge will co-captain Scotland in the upcoming Six Nations.
Jamie Ritchie had skippered Gregor Townsend’s side in last year’s championship and the recent World Cup.
Meanwhile, Edinburgh back Darcy Graham has been ruled out for at least Scotland’s opening two Tests against Wales and France with a quad injury.
Great Britain sevens player Ross McCann has been called into the squad by Townsend as cover.
“Rory and Finn captained Scotland last summer and bring different strengths and styles of leadership to the table,” said Townsend.
“Both are highly respected within our squad and have been part of our leadership group for some time. I’m sure they will thrive with this responsibility and lean on our other leaders to drive certain aspects of our preparation, mindset and performance.
“Jamie has done an excellent job as our captain since October 2022 and he will continue to be one of the key leaders in our group. He now has the opportunity to focus more on his game and deliver his best rugby over the next few weeks.”
Edinburgh back-row Ritchie is still in Townsend’s squad, along with Exeter Chiefs’ former England prop Alec Hepburn.
Scotland were third in last year’s Six Nations with three wins but were knocked out at the pool stage of autumn’s World Cup in France.
Bath fly-half Russell, 31, has 75 caps and commented: “Playing for Scotland is a huge honour and to co-captain the side is a privilege and something I am proud of.
“We have such a talented squad and to lead them alongside Rory represents a massive opportunity. I can’t wait to get started with this year’s championship.
“Rory has been a key player for us since he made his debut and leads by example during matches and in training. We’ll both have different leadership styles which will complement each other and ultimately benefit the team as we go into the tournament.”
And Glasgow Warriors back-row Darge, capped 15 times, added: “I enjoyed captaining the team last summer and immediately felt proud when Gregor told me the news.
“To co-captain your country is a tremendous honour and to do it alongside a guy like Finn who is respected across the game and such a talented player will be great for me.”
Scotland squad
Forwards: Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh), Josh Bayliss (Bath), Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow), Andy Christie (Saracens), Luke Crosbie (Edinburgh), Scott Cummings (Glasgow), Jack Dempsey (Glasgow), Rory Darge (Glasgow), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), Richie Gray (Glasgow), Matt Fagerson (Glasgow), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow), Alec Hepburn (Exeter Chiefs), Will Hurd (Leicester Tigers), Johnny Matthews (Glasgow), WP Nel (Edinburgh), Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh), Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh), Sam Skinner (Edinburgh), George Turner (Glasgow), Glen Young (Edinburgh).
Backs: Adam Hastings (Gloucester), Ben Healy (Edinburgh), George Horne (Glasgow), Rory Hutchinson (Northampton), Huw Jones (Glasgow), Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse), Ross McCann (Great Britain sevens), Stafford McDowall (Glasgow), Harry Paterson (Edinburgh), Ali Price (Edinburgh), Cameron Redpath (Bath), Arron Reed (Sale Sharks), Kyle Rowe (Glasgow), Finn Russell (Bath), Kyle Steyn (Glasgow), Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow), Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh), Ben White (Toulon).
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
