Scotland lock Emma Wassell has withdrawn for the upcoming WXV tournament after being diagnosed with a tumour in her chest.
Wassell, capped 67 times for her country, has been a key cog in Bryan Easson’s pack over the last few years but will miss the event in South Africa to undergo surgery.
The 29-year-old spent nearly a fortnight in hospital after admitting herself to A&E and is now set for a spell on the sidelines.
She will be replaced in the 30-player squad to travel to Cape Town by Saracens’ Louise McMillan, who had already joined up with the Scottish squad as injury cover.
“Unfortunately, rugby has now been put on hold for a while as I will get surgery to remove the tumour, but I will be doing everything I can to return in 2025,” said the Loughborough Lightning lock, who missed two Women’s Six Nations games earlier this year after the death of her mother.
“To miss another opportunity to be back playing in blue has been a really tough one to take, especially after my year but that truly is a testament to the team we have built.
“I honestly don’t have the words right now to describe the support I’ve had during this time, but I am beyond blessed with the incredible people I have in my life. Mum left me in good hands, and I will forever be grateful to every single one of you who made sure I never felt alone in any of this.”
Scotland comfortably beat Wales in one of two warm-up games ahead of WXV2 and host Fiji in Edinburgh this weekend.
Easson’s side secured the second tier title at the inaugural edition of the World Rugby event in South Africa last year. They take Italy, Japan and Scotland across three weekends from Saturday 28 September.
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