Malcolm urges Scotland to end seven-game losing streak in Sydney showcase

Scotland captain Rachel Malcolm has challenged her side to end a seven-game losing streak when they face Australia in a WXV Global Series clash at Accor Stadium in Sydney on Saturday, the opening fixture of a blockbuster quadruple-header that will also feature two Sevens matches and the second Bledisloe Cup Test between the Wallabies and the All Blacks.

Scotland arrive in Sydney having lost to Canada, New Zealand and Australia in Edinburgh last month. While defeats to world number three Canada and world number two New Zealand were widely anticipated, a second-half collapse against the Wallaroos at Hive Stadium on 26 September proved a harder pill to swallow. Scotland led 10-5 at half-time before conceding 25 unanswered points to lose 30-10, a result that left them ninth in the world rankings with Australia sitting seventh.

The 35-year-old back-row, who has been part of the Scotland setup for many years, acknowledged that the manner of that defeat remains fresh in the squad’s minds, but insisted the occasion in Sydney should be embraced rather than feared.

“What’s really cool about the women’s game nowadays is that we get the opportunity to play in these big showcase matches and we are all looking forward to the occasion, 100 percent,” Malcolm said. “I think it is really exciting for us to be a part of the quadruple header and it’s brilliant that Australia have managed to get that sorted in terms of growing the game in general.”

Scotland have already experienced significant crowd milestones in 2026, playing in front of a standalone record 30,498 at Scottish Gas Murrayfield during the Guinness Women’s Six Nations and then 31,294 at the Aviva Stadium against Ireland in the same tournament. Saturday’s event at Accor Stadium could surpass both in scale and spectacle.

Malcolm was clear, however, that the occasion must not become a distraction. “There’s two bits to it: one, we have to completely absorb and enjoy everything that is going to be going on around the fixture and use it to energise ourselves, but two, we cannot be overshadowed by that excitement. We’ve got to have our eye on what we’re up to in our game first and foremost.”

Saturday’s match concludes Scotland’s WXV Global Series campaign in Sydney, with a further fixture against the Wallaroos scheduled in Canberra on 23 October.