Finn Russell vows to avoid past mistakes as he weighs Scotland future beyond 2027 World Cup

Finn Russell has ruled out putting a date on his international retirement, insisting he will keep playing for Scotland as long as he is enjoying the game — and that he will not repeat the mistake of making promises about his future he cannot keep.

The Bath fly-half, currently five caps short of a century for Scotland, made the comments in an interview with Somerset Live. With two seasons remaining on his reported £1m-a-year contract at Bath, Russell will be 35 by the time the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia is over, leaving open the possibility of a record-breaking Test career.

“I don’t want to put a number on it,” Russell said. “I don’t want to be like, ‘oh I’m going to finish up after the World Cup or after that season I’m going to finish up’. I’ve maybe said that a few times and within like a few days I’m just like, nah, I don’t know.”

The 32-year-old acknowledged the uncertainty of predicting his own longevity in the sport. “It’s hard to tell you, it could be in a year’s time, a year and a half’s time, it could be in four years’ time that I’m just like, I’ve maybe had enough of this now and I want something different or I want more time off to spend with the family,” he added. “I’m just going to play as long as I’m enjoying it.”

Should Russell reach 100 Scotland caps — a milestone he is on course to pass well before the 2027 tournament — he would then have a realistic shot at overtaking Ross Ford’s national record of 110 Test appearances.

His Bath contract runs until the summer of 2028, meaning his club future is settled for now. What comes after, Russell is content to leave open.