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Uncapped Ollie Leatherbarrow Named in Scotland Squad for First Time

Carys BevanPublished 7m ago2 min readBased on 8 sources
Uncapped Ollie Leatherbarrow Named in Scotland Squad for First Time
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Ollie Leatherbarrow has been called into the Scotland senior squad for the first time, even though he has yet to play a full international for his country. The 24-year-old is one of 37 players named for Scotland's autumn fixtures, according to BBC Sport.

Leatherbarrow is a flanker, one of the back-row forwards who play at the side of the scrum and are usually first into the rucks, the contests for the ball on the ground after a tackle. He was born in Macclesfield, but he qualifies for Scotland through his grandmother, who came from Perth. He has already played for Scotland at under-16 and under-20 level. He started his career at Exeter Chiefs before joining Newcastle in 2023.

Scotland's three home games in the Nations Championship, the international series played during the autumn window, come in quick succession. They face New Zealand on 7 November, Australia on 15 November and Japan on 21 November, all at Murrayfield in Edinburgh.

Not everyone who was in the frame made the cut. Magnus Bradbury and Freddy Douglas were left out of the 37-man group. Jamie Ritchie, Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe return to the squad after injuries. Jack Dempsey has kept his place even though he now plays his club rugby for Toshiba Brave Lupus in Japan, having previously been with Glasgow Warriors.

Sione Tuipulotu will lead the team again for the three home matches, according to Scottish Rugby. Seb Stephen, who made his debut against Fiji in the July window, is also part of the group.

For Leatherbarrow, a squad place is the first real step up to the senior level. Being named in a group does not guarantee a debut, and selection for the matches themselves will come later. Still, for a player who has worked his way through the age-group ranks, the call-up is a clear moment of recognition.

Scottish Rugby also marked the death of Lorn Cowie, a former Scotland international, on 23 October at the age of 100. He was the oldest living former Scotland international at the time of his death.

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