Townsend confirms Japan-bound Dempsey is '100 per cent' in Scotland's World Cup plans

Gregor Townsend has given an unequivocal endorsement of Jack Dempsey’s Scotland future, declaring the number eight a certainty for next year’s Rugby World Cup despite the 32-year-old’s impending move to Japanese club Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo.

Dempsey’s international availability had been called into question after his departure from Glasgow Warriors was confirmed earlier this year. Calendar conflicts with Japan’s domestic season have previously cost players such as Richie Gray and George Turner their Scotland places, but Townsend insisted the timing works in Dempsey’s favour.

“Japan’s season starts around December, January, so our next two campaigns we see Jack being involved with us,” Townsend said on Tuesday. “He’s playing well, he played really well in the Six Nations. He will be able to join his club around September and get some pre-season training before he becomes available for us in November. But, yes, Jack’s very much a part of who we are right now.”

Asked directly whether he envisaged Dempsey featuring at the World Cup in Australia in autumn 2026, the Scotland head coach was emphatic: “Yes, 100 per cent.”

Dempsey, who switched allegiance from Australia in 2022 and has since earned 33 caps, has been named in Townsend’s 36-man squad for next month’s Nations Championship fixtures against Argentina in Córdoba, South Africa in Pretoria, and Fiji at Murrayfield.

Two uncapped Glasgow hookers — 20-year-old Seb Stephen and 24-year-old Gregor Hiddleston — are the notable new call-ups for what Townsend described as the most demanding summer tour of his coaching tenure.

“It’s a much tougher tour that we’re undertaking this year than ever before, certainly in the time I’ve been a coach,” he said. “We’re playing number five in the world, number one in the world, and a Fiji team that beat us last summer. We know we’re going to have to play close to our best rugby to win those games.”

Townsend also highlighted the logistical complexity of the schedule — three matches against three different nations across two hemispheres in three weeks — as deliberate preparation for the back-to-back format Scotland will face at the World Cup.

“It will prep us well for the World Cup. While there’s less travel in Australia, it’s week-to-week games against international sides so you have to adapt and learn quickly because you’re into the next match straight away.”