Scotland seek first win over England in 26 years as World Cup quarter-final looms

Scotland will attempt to end a 26-year wait for a victory over England when the teams meet in a Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final at Ashton Gate in Bristol on Sunday.

The match kicks off at 16:00 BST and will be shown live on BBC One, Sports Extra Two and the BBC Sport website and app. Scotland, who finished the pool stage with wins over Wales and Fiji and pushed Canada, arrive in Bristol buoyed by recent improvement in the world rankings but face a Red Roses side that has dominated the fixture for more than two decades.

England have met Scotland 34 times and, aside from defeats in 1998 and a 1999 European Championship play-off, have won every other encounter. In the five most recent meetings, the average points difference has been nearly 50, underscoring the gulf that has opened between the nations in the professional era.

Scotland’s most capped player, Donna Kennedy, who played in both of the Scots’ last victories over England, said the current gap is down to structure, investment and player numbers. "There are a lot more players in England, firstly," she told BBC Sport. "Secondly, it is the pathways for players to become internationals. England set them up early on. They were ahead of every nation in that, not just Scotland."

Kennedy, who will be at Ashton Gate on Sunday, pointed to the Celtic Challenge — a cross-border club competition launched in 2023 involving teams from Scotland, Ireland and Wales — as a potential pathway to strengthen domestic competition and provide a proving ground for players in the absence of the depth found in England's Premier 15s.

Scotland’s tournament form has given coaches and players cause for optimism. Wing Fran McGhie is among the tournament’s leading try-scorers, and the team’s rise from 12th in the world rankings in 2019 to sixth place demonstrates steady progress. However, that momentum has been tempered by off-field uncertainty: head coach Bryan Easson confirmed he will leave his role at the end of the campaign after 25 years in various posts with Scottish Rugby, and several contract renewals have yet to be finalised.

"We have made such a good leap forward in [the] last five to six years, why would we let go of that now?" Kennedy said. "There is the platform now and we have to use our voices. I know there have been conversations with Scottish Rugby and I believe headway has been made. They have to get those contracts right, not just for the players that are there now, but also for the talent coming through."

Scotland coach Easson has overseen the team’s ascent and their World Cup build-up, but the announcement of his departure has prompted questions about continuity at a pivotal moment. Scottish Rugby has indicated ongoing discussions regarding the future structure and support for the women’s programme, but details on long-term contracts and resource commitments remain limited.

England enter the quarter-final with a long-standing record of success in the fixture and the experience that comes from a fully professional domestic structure and earlier investment in both sevens and 15s rugby. Scotland will seek to disrupt that pattern with a combination of forward strength and an increasingly dangerous backline.

Kennedy recalled the camaraderie and pride of Scotland’s wins in the late 1990s and urged sustained backing for the current squad. "You have to back up a team that is competing on the world stage," she said. "This can't be a one-hit wonder. There must be continuity, investment and commitment."

Scotland will approach Sunday’s match with belief; players and former internationals say no side takes the field expecting to lose. Whether that belief can translate into a historic victory and upset the established hierarchy will be decided at Ashton Gate.