The Scottish Rugby Academy provides Scotland's up and coming rugby stars a dedicated focused routeway for development into the professional game. Entry is restricted to Scottish qualified students and both male and female entrants are accepted into 4 regional academies. The 2022–23 season sees the eighth year of the academy, now sponsored by Fosroc.^[1]

Season overview

This was the eighth year of the Scottish Rugby Academy.

Regional Academies

The Scottish Rugby Academy runs four regional academies in Scotland:- Glasgow and the West, Borders and East Lothian, Edinburgh and Caledonia. These roughly correspond to the traditional districts of Glasgow District, South, Edinburgh District and North and Midlands.^[2]

Stages

Players are selected in three stages:-

Academy Players

Stage 3 players

Stage 3 players are assigned to a professional team. Nominally, for the men, Glasgow Warriors receive the Stage 3 players of Glasgow and the West and Caledonia regions, while Edinburgh Rugby receive the Stage 3 players of the Edinburgh and Borders and East Lothian regions. The women are integrated into the Scotland women's national rugby sevens team and the Scotland women's national rugby union team.

The Stage 3 players were assigned directly to Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby.^[3]

However they were also assigned to the Super 6 sides when not in use by the United Rugby Championship sides.^[4]

Glasgow Warriors

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Tom Banatvala Prop Scotland Callum Norrie Prop Scotland Jamie Drummond Hooker Scotland Harris McLeod Lock Scotland Euan Ferrie Flanker Scotland Rhys Tait Flanker Scotland Archie Smeaton Number 8 Scotland

Player Position Union Ben Afshar Scrum-half Scotland Finlay Burgess Scrum-half Scotland Christian Townsend Fly-half Scotland Ben Salmon Centre Scotland Duncan Munn Centre Scotland Logan Jarvie Wing Scotland Ross McKnight Wing Scotland Andy Stirrat Fullback Scotland

Edinburgh

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Robbie Deans Prop Scotland Dan Gamble Prop Scotland Michael Jones Prop Scotland Patrick Harrison Hooker Scotland Jamie Campbell Flanker Scotland Harri Morris Flanker Scotland Rudi Brown Flanker Scotland

Player Position Union Matt Russell Fly-half Scotland Cameron Scott Fly-half Scotland Ben Evans Wing Scotland Jacob Henry Wing Scotland Harry Paterson Fullback Scotland Nathan Sweeney Fullback Scotland

Super 6 intake

Ayrshire Bulls

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Jamie Drummond Hooker Scotland Archie Smeaton Number 8 Scotland

Player Position Union Ben Afshar Scrum-half Scotland Christian Townsend Fly-half Scotland Andy Stirrat Fullback Scotland

Boroughmuir Bears

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Michael Jones Prop Scotland Euan Ferrie Lock Scotland Liam McConnell Flanker Scotland Rhys Tait Flanker Scotland

Player Position Union Duncan Munn Centre Scotland

Heriots Rugby

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Dan Gamble Prop Scotland Jamie Campbell Flanker Scotland

Player Position Union Matt Russell Fly-half Scotland Ben Evans Wing Scotland Nathan Sweeney Fullback Scotland

Southern Knights

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Rudi Brown Flanker Scotland Harri Morris Flanker Scotland

Player Position Union Cameron Scott Fly-half Scotland Finn Douglas Wing Scotland Jacob Henry Wing Scotland

Stirling Wolves

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Callum Norrie Prop Scotland Harris McLeod Lock Scotland

Player Position Union Finlay Burgess Scrum-half Scotland Ben Salmon Centre Scotland Logan Jarvie Wing Scotland

Watsonians

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Tom Banatvala Prop Scotland Robbie Deans Prop Scotland Patrick Harrison Hooker Scotland

Player Position Union Ross McKnight Wing Scotland Harry Paterson Fullback Scotland

Graduates of this year

Players who have signed professional contracts with clubs:

• Euan Ferrie to Glasgow Warriors^[5]
• Patrick Harrison to Edinburgh Rugby^[6]
• Jacob Henry to Edinburgh Rugby^[7]
• Jamie Campbell to Edinburgh Rugby^[8]
• Cameron Scott to Edinburgh Rugby^[9]
• Harry Paterson to Edinburgh Rugby^[10]
• Michael Jones to Edinburgh Rugby^[11]
• Nathan Sweeney to Edinburgh Rugby^[12]
• Rhys Tait to Doncaster Knights^[13]
• Archie Smeaton to Doncaster Knights^[14]

References