He has established himself as one of Gregor Townsend’s star men and is widely tipped to be one of the centers for Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions team this summer. So why won’t Sione Tuipulotu play for Scotland in the Six Nations 2025?
Unfortunately, Tuipulotu suffered a pectoral muscle injury while training with his club Glasgow Warriors. He is undergoing surgery and will therefore be unable to feature in Townsend’s Scotland Six Nations squad.
It’s bad news for Scotland ahead of the 2025 tournament. They have not won the Six Nations since Italy entered the competition in 2000. But with an impressive back line built around Tuipulotu, Huw Jones, Darcy Graham, Duhan van der Merwe and incumbent leader Finn Russell, they arguably have the potential to give France and reigning champions Ireland a run for their money.
Read more: Scottish rugby fixtures
“I think not seeing Sione play is a blow to the tournament and to our supporters,” Townsend said at the Six Nations 2025 launch event in Rome.
“But teams have to accept that injuries happen. That’s why we need to build depth over a long period of time. And we have some really good centers in the squad who now have opportunities they never thought would come to them and we are supporting them to go and get those opportunities.”
With no replacement called up to replace 30-man Tuipulotu in the (currently) 35-man squad, centers Huw Jones, Stafford McDowall (who captained him against Portugal in the Autumn Nations Series), Rory Hutchinson and Tom Jordan feature. I will do it. The starting line up against Italy on the opening weekend of the tournament.
Tuipulotu does not play for Scotland: British and Irish Lions prospect
The injury comes at a particularly bad time for Tuipulotu, who is competing for the Lions tour of Australia this summer. Fortunately, Scottish Rugby says he is “expected to return before the end of the season”, but he will need to prove his fitness before coach Farrell can make the squad.
Tuipulotu, who formed a formidable partnership with Jones, were widely tipped to be competing for a place on the plane with the Irish trio of Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose. He could also be an outside bet to captain the team, but Caelan Doris and Maro Itoje appear more likely to be selected for six months.
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