Ceitidh Ainsworth will make her first starting appearance for the Scotland Women’s rugby team in Saturday’s WXV Series match against New Zealand. She replaces her clubmate Rhea Clarke at scrum-half, marking one of four changes made by interim head coach Dave Butcher for the game at Hive Stadium. Ainsworth previously made her debut for Scotland off the bench in last weekend’s 64-26 loss to Canada, where she played a supporting role. Another notable change sees Glasgow lock Holland Bogan return to the matchday squad for her second start with Scotland. Sale Sharks’ Eva Donaldson also joins the starting line-up on the openside flank, while Glasgow’s Anne Young will start at loosehead prop. Harlequins’ Sarah Bonar, who is set to earn her 52nd cap, returns to the match-day squad from injury and will make her first appearance since the 2025 Rugby World Cup. Several players have been moved to the bench or dropped from the match-day squad. Rhea Clarke, along with Sale prop Leah Bartlett, will now be on the bench. Bristol Bears second row Hollie Cunningham and Glasgow forward Becky Boyd are no longer part of the squad. The Scotland team features a mix of players from various clubs, including Chloe Rollie (Edinburgh Rugby), Rhona Lloyd (Sale Sharks), and Rachel Philipps (Edinburgh), among others. The starting line-up includes key players such as captain Rachel Malcolm from Trailfinders, and includes a strong representation from Glasgow Warriors, Sale Sharks, and Bristol Bears. The replacements bench includes players like Aicha Sutcliffe (Glasgow Warriors), Molly Poolman (Edinburgh), and Hannah Ramsay (Edinburgh), providing depth and flexibility for the match against the highly ranked New Zealand team.