Newcastle Red Bulls forward Ollie Leatherbarrow has been named in the Scotland squad for the Nations Championship as the group's only uncapped player.
Head coach Gregor Townsend selected the 24-year-old back-row forward ahead of Edinburgh pair Magnus Bradbury and Freddie Douglas for the upcoming campaign.
Scotland face Test matches against New Zealand, Australia and Japan, before finishing the autumn schedule with a finals fixture in London.
Leatherbarrow was born in Macclesfield in Cheshire and qualifies to represent Scotland through a grandmother from Perth. He previously represented the nation at under-16 and under-20 levels.
The forward revealed he had targeted a senior call-up for several years and described walking into camp alongside established internationals as a surreal moment.
"I've spent a long time watching a fair few of the guys I'm training with so it's pretty surreal," Leatherbarrow said. "But I'm excited to rip in and learn from everyone and take the opportunity with both hands."
Leatherbarrow learned of his selection during a video meeting with the national team coaching staff earlier in the week.
"I had a Zoom call on Wednesday with the coaches, just talking through my game this season, where they think I'm at and what I think I'm working on and what my strengths are," he said.
"And at the end of that call they just let me know that I'd be selected so I'm absolutely delighted," he added. "This has been my long-term goal for a long while now. When you're playing for your club and you feel like you're playing well, then obviously you're always looking to get that national call up."
Autumn Nations Championship targets
Scotland enter the newly formed Nations Championship aiming to compete against the leading sides from both the northern and southern hemispheres. The competition brings together international teams for a series of autumn fixtures culminating in a ranking finals day.
Leatherbarrow made clear that the squad have already set ambitious targets for the matches ahead, targeting a clean sweep in the group fixtures.
"I want to win my first cap and I want to be part of the team that goes three from three in the autumn," he said. "We spoke about it in the first few meetings yesterday that we want to go for that top play-off final."
The back row is traditionally one of the most competitive areas of the Scotland squad, containing experienced campaigners such as Bradbury alongside emerging talent. Back-row forwards, operating as flankers or at number eight, are central to winning possession at the breakdown, carrying the ball and organizing defensive lines.
Leatherbarrow acknowledged that adjusting to senior professional rugby required patience after he finished his development in the national age-grade system.
"Coming out of the under-20s, I probably had a bit more to learn than I thought," Leatherbarrow said.
Pre-season competition at Newcastle
At club level, Leatherbarrow has started only once for Newcastle this season, but he has earned a place in the matchday squad for every fixture following a dedicated pre-season campaign.
The English Premiership club strengthened their squad over the summer with several new arrivals, creating fierce internal competition for places in the back row.
"This year, with all the new signings at the start of pre-season, I didn't just want to sit back and accept that there's going to be a new signing ahead of me," Leatherbarrow said.
"I'd like to think I competed pretty well in pre-season and then, going into the season, I've been involved in every game," he added. "Of course, when you're trying to put out good performances, the end goal is always to be here."
A conversation with Townsend during the off-season provided the extra motivation Leatherbarrow needed to push for senior international recognition.
"I spoke to Gregor in the summer and he said that I'd had a good year and I was close but just wanted to see a little bit more from me," Leatherbarrow said. "That was the first time I'd had a conversation around the full national set-up."
"So that's what spurred me on in pre-season, knowing that if I have a good pre-season in a competitive Newcastle team, then the sky's the limit, really. I'm massively proud to represent Scotland."
Townsend consultancy role and club mentors
Townsend holds a part-time consultancy role with Red Bull, the ownership group behind Newcastle, creating an existing connection between the national head coach and the English club.
Leatherbarrow insisted that the link had no bearing on his inclusion in the squad, explaining that Townsend's work is focused on the coaching department rather than squad members.
"I think that relationship is more with the coaches," Leatherbarrow said. "He doesn't have anything to do with the players. I'd say maybe once a month I'll see him in person and say hello, but he wouldn't talk to me about my game there, no."
Instead, the young forward turned to Newcastle teammates Elliot Millar Mills and Chris Harris for guidance on what to expect within the Scotland environment.
Millar Mills, a Scotland international prop, helped reassure Leatherbarrow about the culture within the national squad.
"Elliot kept me right, to be fair," Leatherbarrow said. "He just explained what the lads are like and just said how much of a welcoming group it is. To be fair, he's right. You'd expect players of this calibre to have a bit of an ego about them, but everyone's been so welcoming and made me feel comfortable."
Leatherbarrow also drew encouragement from Harris, the experienced Scotland centre who established himself at international level later in his career after coming through the club game.
"Chris Harris, he's great," Leatherbarrow said. "He's got so much experience and didn't develop until a bit later as well. So I've taken from him that the door's not shut if you're not capped by 22 or 23. Both of them have been really helpful."
Scotland will now prepare for their opening Nations Championship fixtures, with Leatherbarrow looking to secure his senior debut against some of the world's leading rugby nations.
