Scottish rugby: Female players face unemployment amid contract concerns

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More than half of Scotland women's squad fear being left without a professional contract and having to hunt for work after this summer's Rugby World Cup, a squad representative has claimed.

A two-page statement sent to BBC Sport says only 15 members of the 38-player training squad are on year-long deals with Scottish Rugby.

That could mean a number of the 23 who have been put on short-term arrangements will be looking for new employment and experiencing off-field upheaval by October.

The source claims that some players in the Rugby World Cup training camp are continuing to "suffer with their mental and emotional health following the potential loss of their contracts" as they prepare for the tournament, which is being hosted by England.

They added it was "not conducive" to "a positive performance environment within a squad".

Scottish Rugby says it extended contracts to October to give players certainty for the event, which runs from 22 August to 27 September.

It added it had not yet confirmed which players would be offered contracts beyond October but intended to sort that in the coming weeks.