Darge, Russell to skipper Scotland in Six Nations but Graham sidelined

Scotland back row Rory Darge and flyhalf Finn Russell will co-captain the team in the Six Nations, while wing Darcy Graham is out of the first two games and replaced in the squad by uncapped Sevens international Ross McCann, officials said on Sunday.

Darge and Russell each captained Scotland last year in the absence of Jamie Ritchie, with the flyhalf in charge as the side secured a memorable comeback win over France at Murrayfield.

"Appointing co-captains for this year's Six Nations allows us to further grow and develop the leadership within the squad," coach Gregor Townsend said.

"Both are highly respected within our squad and have been part of our leadership group for some time.

"I'm sure they will thrive with this responsibility and lean on our other leaders to drive certain aspects of our preparation, mindset and performance."

Ritchie, who led Scotland at the World Cup in France, has been relieved of his duties for now.

"Jamie has done an excellent job as our captain since October 2022 and he will continue to be one of the key leaders in our group.

"He now has the opportunity to focus more on his game and deliver his best rugby over the next few weeks," Townsend said.

Graham has been ruled out of the opener against Wales in Cardiff on Feb. 3 and the visit of France a week later with a quad injury and no firm return date has been set.

McCann, 26, competed for Great Britain at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and is still part of the squad, though his preparations for Paris 2024 have been put on hold.

Scottish Rugby said in a statement they would "like to thank Great Britain 7s for their cooperation in allowing his release to be available for the squad".