The 2021–22 season will see Glasgow Warriors compete in the competitions: the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup.
Season overview
A new league structure was announced on 15 June 2021. With the addition of the 4 Super Rugby Unlocked franchises of the Bulls, Sharks, Stormers and the Lions, the Pro14 rebranded itself as the United Rugby Championship.
There will be 4 regional conferences with teams playing their regional rivals home and away; and teams from the other conferences either home or away.
With 16 teams in total, this means 18 normal matches in the season before the play-offs.
As Scotland and Italy only have 2 teams each in the United Rugby Championship, they were placed in one regional conference; the Irish sides, Welsh sides and South African sides had their own regional conferences respectively.
Team
Coaches
Head coach: Danny Wilson Assistant coach: Kenny Murray (to January 2022) Assistant coach: Peter Murchie Assistant coach: Nigel Carolan Scrum Coach: Alasdair Dickinson Head Strength and Conditioning Coach: Cillian Reardon Senior Athletic Performance Coach: Damien O'Donoghue Sport Scientist: Robin Reidy Lead Performance Analyst: Greg Woolard Asst. Performance Analyst: Graham O'Riordan Asst. Performance Analyst: Eilidh Wright
Staff
Managing Director: Alastair Kellock Chairman: Charles Shaw Advisory Group: Walter Malcolm, Douglas McCrea, Alan Lees, Jim Preston, Paul Taylor Rugby Operations Manager: Kenny Brown (to November 2021); John Manson (from November 2021) Assistant Operations Manager: Martin Malone Kit & Equipment Manager: Dougie Mills Head groundsman: Colin Mackinnon Team Doctor: Dr. Jonathan Hanson Clinical Manager and Lead Physiotherapist: Andrew Boag Senior Team Physiotherapist: Francesco Fronzoni Senior Team Physiotherapist: Michael Clark Junior Physiotherapist: Christina Finlay Communications and Marketing Manager: Cameron MacAllister Marketing manager: Claire Scott Media manager: Duncan Seller Content Producer: Cameron Avery Communications Manager: Craig Wright Commercial Manager: Jamie Robertson Partnership Account Manager: Catherine Bunch Partnership Account Manager: Jim Taylor Community Manager: Stuart Lewis
Squad Hookers
Ewan Ashman Fraser Brown Johnny Matthews Grant Stewart George Turner
Props
Simon Berghan Jamie Bhatti Zander Fagerson Oli Kebble Tom Lambert Nathan McBeth Murray McCallum Ewan McQuillin Enrique Pieretto Brad Thyer Murphy Walker
Locks
Hamish Bain Lewis Bean Scott Cummings Richie Gray Kiran McDonald Loose forwards
Rory Darge Jack Dempsey Matt Fagerson Thomas Gordon Rob Harley Ally Miller Ryan Wilson
Scrum halves
Jamie Dobie George Horne Sean Kennedy Ali Price
Fly halves
Domingo Miotti Ross Thompson Duncan Weir Centres
Robbie Fergusson Nick Grigg Peter Horne Tom Jordan Sam Johnson Stafford McDowall Ollie Smith Kyle Steyn Sione Tuipulotu
Back Three
Sebastián Cancelliere Walter Fifita Cole Forbes Josh McKay Rufus McLean Ratu Tagive
Scottish Rugby Academy Stage 3 players
These players are given a professional contract by the Scottish Rugby Academy. Although given placements they are not contracted by Glasgow Warriors. Players graduate from the academy when a professional club contract is offered.
These players are assigned to Glasgow Warriors for the season 2021–22.
Academy players promoted in the course of the season are listed with the main squad.
Jamie Drummond – Hooker Angus Fraser – Hooker Euan Ferrie – Lock Alex Samuel – Lock Max Williamson – Lock Gregor Brown – Flanker Rory Jackson – Flanker Rhys Tait – Flanker Euan Cunningham – Fly-half Christian Townsend – Fly-half Michael Gray – Centre Robbie McCallum – Centre Finlay Callaghan – Wing Ross McKnight – Wing
Back up players
Other players used by Glasgow Warriors over the course of the season.
Calvin Henderson (Ayrshire Bulls) – Prop Michael Scott (Ayrshire Bulls) – Prop George Thornton (Ayrshire Bulls) – Prop Lewis McNamara (Ayrshire Bulls) – Flanker Jordan Lenac (Ayrshire Bulls) – Scrum half Euan McAra (Ayrshire Bulls) – Scrum half Robert Beattie (Ayrshire Bulls) – Centre Eli Caven (Ayrshire Bulls) – Wing Aaron Tait (Ayrshire Bulls) – Wing Liam McNamara (Ayrshire Bulls) – Full back Jerry Blyth-Lafferty (Boroughmuir Bears) – Hooker Callum Smith (Boroughmuir Bears) – Prop Jack Fisher (Boroughmuir Bears) – Lock Trystan Andrews (Boroughmuir Bears) – No. 8 Ruairidh Swan (Boroughmuir Bears) – Scrum half George Breese (Stirling County) – Prop Adam Sinclair (Stirling County) – Lock Connor Gordon (Stirling County) – Flanker Benedict Grant (Stirling County) – No. 8 Marcus Holden (Stirling County) – Fly half Logan Trotter (Stirling County) – Wing Stevie Hamilton (Stirling County) – Full back
Player statistics
During the 2021–22 season, Glasgow have used 47 different players in competitive games. The table below shows the number of appearances and points scored by each player.
Pos. Nation Name United Rugby Championship Champions Cup Challenge Cup TotalApps(sub)TriesPointskickedApps(sub)TriesPointskickedApps(sub)TriesPointskickedApps(sub)Total PtsHKFraser Brown6(6)301(1)000007(7)15HKJohnny Matthews7(8)70(2)102109(10)45HKGrant Stewart(2)00000000(2)0HKGeorge Turner6(3)003(1)00(2)009(6)0PRSimon Berghan5(5)00(1)001(1)006(7)0PRJamie Bhatti10(4)202(2)001(1)0013(7)10PRZander Fagerson8104001(1)0013(1)5PROli Kebble9(5)102(2)0010012(7)5PRNathan McBeth(5)00000(1)00(6)0PRMurray McCallum2(2)000000002(2)0PREwan McQuillin(2)00000000(2)0PREnrique Pieretto1(7)00(3)000001(10)0PRBrad Thyer1(3)000000001(3)0PRMurphy Walker2(4)000000002(4)0LKLewis Bean2(8)20(2)00(1)002(11)10LKScott Cummings710400100125LKRichie Gray16(1)0030020021(1)0LKKiran McDonald5(9)001(2)10(1)006(12)5BRGregor Brown1(1)00000(1)001(2)0BRRory Darge1110400100165BRJack Dempsey17504001002225BRMatt Fagerson2(2)004100006(2)5BRThomas Gordon6(7)20(1)001007(8)10BRRob Harley8(3)00(2)001(1)009(3)0BRAlly Miller3(7)00(1)001(1)004(9)0BRRyan Wilson1720(2)0020019(2)10SHJamie Dobie4(12)20000(1)004(13)10SHGeorge Horne7(3)20(4)000007(7)10SHSean Kennedy(2)00000000(2)0SHJordan Lenac(2)00000000(2)0SHAli Price810400200145FHDomingo Miotti2(3)03000(1)002(4)3FHRoss Thompson11(6)1944041201717(6)157FHDuncan Weir8(6)047(3)040008(9)51CERobbie Fergusson2(1)000000002(1)0CENick Grigg2(2)000000002(2)0CEPeter Horne(1)00000000(1)0CESam Johnson13(1)1040020019(1)5CEStafford McDowall3(7)000000003(7)0CESione Tuipulotu12(2)4040020018(2)20WGSebastián Cancelliere710(1)001008(1)5WGWalter Fifita1(1)000000001(1)0WGCole Forbes12(2)3030011016(2)20WGRufus McLean11201000001210WGKyle Steyn13304101201830FBJosh McKay9204102201525FBOllie Smith8(2)30(1)221009(3)27
Staff movements
Coaches
Personnel in
Alasdair Dickinson from Bristol Bears Nigel Carolan from Connacht
Personnel out
Jonny Bell to Worcester Warriors Kenny Murray to Scotland U20s
Medical
Personnel in
Personnel out
Staff
Personnel in
John Manson from Old Glory DC
Personnel out
Player movements
Academy promotions
Murphy Walker from Scottish Rugby Academy
Player transfers
In
Simon Berghan from Edinburgh
Ally Miller from Edinburgh Domingo Miotti from Western Force Sebastián Cancelliere from Jaguares Murray McCallum from Edinburgh Brad Thyer from Cardiff Rugby (loan) Robbie Fergusson from GB 7s Walter Fifita from North Harbour Nathan McBeth from Lions Tom Jordan from Ayrshire Bulls Ewan Ashman from Sale Sharks (loan)
Out
Adam Hastings to Gloucester Huw Jones to Harlequins Chris Fusaro retired Alex Allan to Hong Kong Scottish Nikola Matawalu to Montauban D'Arcy Rae to Bath Fotu Lokotui to Agen Mesu Dolokoto to Fijian Drua TJ Ioane to Union Sportive Bressane Lee Jones released Ian Keatley released Paddy Kelly released Robbie Nairn to Ayrshire Bulls Aki Seiuli to Dragons George Thornton to Ayrshire Bulls Brad Thyer to Cardiff Rugby (loan ends) Ewan Ashman to Sale Sharks (loan ends) Murray McCallum to Worcester Warriors Peter Horne to Ayrshire Bulls (as Head Coach) Nick Grigg to Red Hurricanes Osaka Jamie Dobie to Bay of Plenty Steamers (loan)
Competitions
Pre-season and friendlies
The first of two friendlies was confirmed to be against Worcester Warriors. A second friendly, to be played a week before the Worcester match, was confirmed to be against the Newcastle Falcons at Scotstoun Stadium.
The side named to play against Newcastle Falcons was affected by several of the Glasgow players being in isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic; and Super 6 players and academy players were drafted into the Warriors line-up.
In the match against Newcastle Falcons, both Ratu Tagive and Kiran McDonald received injuries which will keep them out of action for months. After a collision with Newcastle fullback Mike Brown, Tagive broke his cheekbone, requiring surgery. McDonald took a blow to his kidney in the match.
A 'Clash of the Warriors' cup was specially produced for the match with Worcester Warriors. It is intended that a return match at Scotstoun will also play for the cup in the following pre-season.
Head Coach Danny Wilson was pleased with the two friendly outings; and especially the Worcester win. He stated after the 'Clash of the Warriors': Last week wasn’t about winning, it was about the first hit out and getting the lads playing some rugby, but tonight was about coming here to get an away win because our next game will be about winning away so we came here to do that. There were a couple of sticky moments in the first half when they were attacking well and the whole game was very physical, but in the second half in particular some guys took their opportunities so we have some headaches ahead of the first selection. It is a case of small stepping stones in pre-season, but getting everybody out there playing and no major injuries is good – but we won’t read too much into it. Still, when you set out your stall to play hard and get a win, not just giving people a game, then it is good to get a win and the players will get some confidence because of that.
A Super6 pro-alignment fixture was announced for 18 June 2022. Players from Ayrshire Bulls, Stirling County and Boroughmuir Bears will represent Glasgow Warriors. Players from Watsonians, Heriot's Rugby and Southern Knights will represent Edinburgh. The Warriors team was mixed with current Academy prospects like Jamie Drummond, Rory Jackson and Michael Gray, alongside ex-Warriors like Robert Beattie and the previous Academy player Logan Trotter; the Australian 7s international player Liam McNamara and the Cyprus international player Marcus Holden. The Edinburgh side had breakthrough Edinburgh players Kwagga van Niekerk and Harrison Courtney, ex-Edinburgh players like Jason Baggott and Cameron Fenton (Fenton has also played for Glasgow Warriors); alongside the Wales international 7s player Joe Jenkins and the Scotland international 7s player Nyle Godsmark; and former London Irish player Rory Brand.
Match 1
Glasgow Warriors: Ollie Smith (Cole Forbes 51); Rufus McLean (Finlay Callaghan 61), Sione Tuipulotu (Nick Grigg 61), Stafford McDowall (Pete Horne 51), Ratu Tagive (Logan Trotter 41); Duncan Weir (Ross Thompson 51), Sean Kennedy (Jamie Dobie 51); Tom Lambert (George Thornton 51), Johnny Matthews (Grant Stewart 51), Murray McCallum (Murphy Walker 51), Lewis Bean (Max Williamson 51), Richie Gray (Rob Harley 51), Kiran McDonald (Scott Cummings 51), Rory Darge (Tom Gordon 51), Ryan Wilson (Rory Jackson 51)
Newcastle Falcons: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Ollie Lindsay-Hague, 13 George Wacokecoke, 12 Pete Lucock, 11 Iwan Stephens, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Sam Stuart; 1 Adam Brocklebank, 2 George McGuigan, 3 Mark Tampin, 4 Marco Fuser, 5 Philip van der Walt, 6 Josh Basham, 7 Will Welch, 8 Callum Chick