A brief history of international tournaments in Scotland

Scotland will host the World Rugby U20 Trophy for the first time in July as they target promotion in front of their own fans.

Head coach Kenny Murray and his players will hope they can take advantage of home comforts at Hive Stadium in Edinburgh following a third-place finish in Kenya last year.

Japan, Hong Kong China and either Samoa or Tonga will provide Scotland’s opposition in Pool A, but July obviously won’t be the first time that an international tournament has been staged in the country.

Twenty years ago, six venues across Edinburgh, Galashiels and Glasgow welcomed 12 teams for the Under-21 World Championship.

Scotland got their campaign underway with a 69-15 defeat to South Africa, in which future Springboks Luke Watson and Wynand Olivier scored the first two of their side’s 10 tries.

The hosts then lost to England 25-14, Delon Armitage contributing 12 points, before they signed off from the pool stage with a 29-17 victory against Russia.

A narrow 18-17 defeat of Tonga – sealed by a last-minute Brian Archibald penalty – followed but Scotland would finish their home tournament 10th, thanks to defeat in the ninth-place play-off. Italy ran in three tries at New Anniesland to win 27-16.

The final, held at Hughenden in Glasgow, pitched defending champions New Zealand against Ireland with the former roaring to a 47-19 victory to secure a second successive title.

Anthony Koonwaiyou scored a hat-trick of tries, while future All Black Hosea Gear scored his side’s sixth and final try and Luke McAlister – who would return to Scotland during Men’s Rugby World Cup 2007 – kicked 17 points.

Murrayfield, in the shadow of which Hive Stadium has been constructed, hosted two Pool C matches during RWC 2007.

Allister Hogg crossed the whitewash three times in the first of those, while Chris Paterson notched 17 points, as Scotland beat Romania 42-0.

There was little for the home crowd to cheer five days later, though, as the All Blacks – with McAlister wearing the number 12 jersey – won 40-0. Dan Carter finished the match with 15 points.

Sixteen years previously Murrayfield had staged five matches, including a quarter-final and a semi-final, as the Men’s Rugby World Cup was played in the northern hemisphere for the first time.

Scotland beat Japan, Zimbabwe and crucially Ireland at their national stadium in Pool 2 to book a quarter-final against Western Samoa in Edinburgh.

Two tries from John Jeffrey helped the home side to a 28-6 victory that set up a semi-final on the same ground against their auld enemy, England. Scotland built a 6-0 lead inside 30 minutes but lost in agonising fashion, 9-6, to a Rob Andrew drop goal.

Scotland went on to lose the bronze final 13-6 to New Zealand at Cardiff Arms Park while Australia beat England 12-6 in the final at Twickenham to lift the Webb Ellis Cup for the first time.

Three years later a group of friends from Scotland stepped in to host the second Women’s Rugby World Cup at just three months’ notice, after the Netherlands pulled out.

Scotland were knocked out by Wales in the quarter-finals following an 8-0 loss in Melrose. England would go on to lift the trophy for the first time, gaining revenge on USA for defeat in the showpiece match three years earlier.

Jane Mitchell, Jacquie Edwards and Gill Burns were among the try scorers in a 38-23 win at Raeburn Place – which had also been the setting for the first ever international match in 1871.

Murrayfield again hosted matches at RWC 1999, while it was joined on the list of Pool A venues by Hampden Park in Glasgow and Netherdale in Galashiels.

Defending champions South Africa topped the pool, having run in six tries to beat Scotland 46-29 in the teams’ opening match at Murrayfield.

Scotland finished second to qualify for the quarter-final play-offs, in which they beat Samoa 35-20 at Murrayfield before their tournament came to an end at the same venue. Tana Umaga (twice), Jeff Wilson and Jonah Lomu crossed the whitewash as the All Blacks, wearing white, secured a 30-18 victory in Edinburgh.

New Zealand would be beaten by France in an epic semi-final at Twickenham seven days later, before Les Bleus succumbed to Australia in the final at the Millennium Stadium.

Given rugby sevens originated in Melrose, Scotland also has a long history of hosting big tournaments in the shorter format of the game.

The inaugural Rugby World Cup Sevens was held at Murrayfield in 1993 as an England team featuring Lawrence Dallaglio, Matt Dawson and Tim Rodber swept to victory, beating Australia 21-17 in the final.

In 2014, meanwhile, the iconic Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow was the setting for the sevens tournament at the Commonwealth Games.

Sevens royalty Seabelo Senatla (two) and Cecil Afrika scored South Africa’s tries as the Blitzboks edged New Zealand 17-12 in a thrilling gold medal match.

Will Hive Stadium be the setting for similar drama this July?