The 2022–23 season will see Glasgow Warriors compete in the competitions: the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Challenge Cup.
Season overview
After the disappointment of the side last season, the SRU stood down Danny Wilson as head coach of the time at the end of the 2021–22 season. It took time for a new head coach to be found, but Franco Smith, a South African previously in charge of the Italy national team, took over the reins of the club, just before Glasgow Warriors pre-season fixtures were due to be played.
The new coach Franco Smith announced a new captain for Glasgow Warriors, the Scotland international Kyle Steyn. Steyn became the eleventh captain of the club.
With little time to get Smith's ideas over, the Warriors struggled for the first few fixtures, particularly away from home. However the team adjusted to the new regime and started to flourish and the results followed, both in the URC and in the European Challenge Cup.
Assistant coach Peter Horne said of this season, compared to last: "Last year it was a case of ‘that should never have happened and we can’t let it happen again’, so it wasn't that we needed to change our expectations – this is where we believe we should be. It is exciting when you look at the team and some of the guys we are leaving out – we’re in a good spot."
Glasgow went unbeaten at home in the regular season, but having gone down to 14 men in the quarter final, lost 14-5 to Munster.
The side reached its first ever European final in the Challenge Cup, but fell to the French side Toulon 43-19.
Team
Coaches
Head coach: Franco Smith Assistant coach: Peter Murchie Assistant coach: Peter Horne 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: Eilidh Wright Asst. Performance Analyst: Aidan FitzGerald
Staff
Managing Director: Alastair Kellock Chairman: Charles Shaw Advisory Group: Walter Malcolm, Douglas McCrea, Alan Lees, Paul Taylor, Frank Mitchell, Scott Mathieson Rugby Operations Manager: John Manson Assistant Operations Manager: Martin Malone Kit & Equipment Manager: Dougie Mills Head groundsman: Colin McKinnon Team Doctor: Dr. Jonathan Hanson Clinical Manager and Lead Physiotherapist: Andrew Boag Senior Team Physiotherapist: Hene Branders Senior Team Physiotherapist: Michael Clark Junior Physiotherapist: Christina Finlay Communications and Marketing Manager: Cameron MacAllister Marketing manager: Claire Scott Event Manager: Duncan Seller Content Producer: Robyn Struthers Administrator: Jana Tobin Communications Manager: Craig Wright Communications Assistant: Molly Mitchell Commercial Manager: Jamie Robertson Lead Account Manager: Omar Muhyeddeen Partnership Account Manager: Catherine Bunch Sponsorship Co-Ordinator: Megan Kennedy Community Manager: Stuart Lewis Business Club Manager: Adam Ashe
Squad Hookers
Fraser Brown Angus Fraser Gregor Hiddleston Johnny Matthews George Turner
Props
Simon Berghan Jamie Bhatti Allan Dell Zander Fagerson Oli Kebble Nathan McBeth Enrique Pieretto Lucio Sordoni Murphy Walker
Locks
Lewis Bean Scott Cummings JP du Preez Richie Gray Alex Samuel Max Williamson Loose forwards
Gregor Brown Rory Darge Jack Dempsey Matt Fagerson Euan Ferrie Thomas Gordon Sintu Manjezi Jack Mann Ally Miller Cameron Neild Sione Vailanu Ryan Wilson
Scrum halves
Jamie Dobie George Horne Cameron Jones Sean Kennedy Ali Price
Fly halves
Joel Hodgson Will Hunt Tom Jordan Domingo Miotti Ross Thompson Duncan Weir Centres
Huw Jones Sam Johnson Stafford McDowall Sione Tuipulotu
Back Three
Sebastián Cancelliere Facundo Cordero Walter Fifita Cole Forbes Josh McKay Rufus McLean Ollie Smith Kyle Steyn Logan Trotter
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 2022–23.
Academy players promoted in the course of the season are listed with the main squad.
Jamie Drummond – Hooker Tom Banatvala – Prop Callum Norrie – Prop Harris McLeod – Lock Rhys Tait – Flanker Archie Smeaton – No. 8 Ben Afshar – Scrum half Finlay Burgess – Scrum half Christian Townsend – Fly-half Ben Salmon – Centre Duncan Munn – Centre Logan Jarvie – Wing Ross McKnight – Wing Andy Stirrat – full back
Back up players
Other players used by Glasgow Warriors over the course of the season. Harry Murray and Euan Cunningham were named in the original academy line up by Glasgow Warriors in their June 2022 depth chart, but left out of the SRU academy announcement in July 2022 and are instead named here.
Luca Alessandri (Boroughmuir Bears) – Prop Mark Ashdown (Glasgow Academicals) – Prop Murray McCallum (Edinburgh Rugby) – Prop Harry Murray (Ayrshire Bulls) – Lock Cory Daniel (Old Glory DC) – Flanker Aminio Bogridrau (Glasgow Hutchesons Aloysians) – Fly half Euan Cunningham (Stirling Wolves) – Fly half Owen Sheehy (Old Glory DC) – Fly half Callum Ferrie (Glasgow Hawks) – Centre Eli Caven (Ayrshire Bulls) – Wing Amena Caqusau (Glasgow Hutchesons Aloysians) – Wing John Rizzo (Old Glory DC) – full back
Player statistics
During the 2022–23 season, Glasgow have used 49 different players in competitive games. The table below shows the number of appearances and points scored by each player.
Position Nation Name United Rugby Championship European Challenge Cup TotalApps(sub)TriesPointskickedApps(sub)TriesPointskickedApps(sub)Total PtsHKFraser Brown11(6)9010012(6)45HKAngus Fraser(1)00(2)00(3)0HKJohnny Matthews6(6)603(4)709(10)65HKGeorge Turner2(6)004(2)206(8)10PRSimon Berghan2(10)001(7)003(17)0PRJamie Bhatti11(5)0060017(5)0PRAllan Dell2(2)001003(2)0PRZander Fagerson8(2)2031011(2)15PROli Kebble3(5)100003(5)5PRNathan McBeth3(7)001(7)004(14)0PRLucio Sordoni7(4)003(1)0010(5)0PRMurphy Walker2(2)001003(2)0LKLewis Bean7(7)002(6)109(13)5LKScott Cummings10(2)1040014(2)5LKJP du Preez5(13)104(3)009(16)5LKRichie Gray10(1)005(2)1015(3)5LKAlex Samuel2(3)001(1)003(4)0BRGregor Brown4(3)000004(3)0BRRory Darge6(2)003(1)109(3)5BRJack Dempsey11206101715BRMatt Fagerson10(1)304(1)1014(2)20BREuan Ferrie(5)002(2)002(7)0BRThomas Gordon5(5)60(3)005(8)30BRSintu Manjezi7(3)10(1)007(4)5BRJack Mann00010010BRAlly Miller10000010BRCameron Neild(3)002002(3)0BRSione Vailanu13(2)5051018(2)30BRRyan Wilson4(2)001(2)005(4)0SHJamie Dobie5(5)003(1)108(6)5SHGeorge Horne9(4)3735(1)24114(5)139SHSean Kennedy(3)00(2)00(5)0SHAli Price7(7)101(4)008(11)5FHTom Jordan16(3)3252(3)1418(6)49FHDomingo Miotti2(7)2265087(7)44FHRoss Thompson(2)00000(2)0FHDuncan Weir1(4)1141(4)0152(8)34CEHuw Jones3(1)206309(1)25CESam Johnson1000110115CEStafford McDowall15603(1)3018(1)45CESione Tuipulotu1000600160WGSebastián Cancelliere12704301650WGEli Caven11000015WGWalter Fifita000(1)00(1)0WGCole Forbes12402101425WGRufus McLean310210510WGKyle Steyn10306401635FBJosh McKay9203101215FBOllie Smith800610145
Staff movements
Coaches
Personnel in
Franco Smith from Italy
Personnel out
Danny Wilson released
Medical
Personnel in
Personnel out
Staff
Personnel in
Personnel out
Player movements
Academy promotions
Gregor Brown from Scottish Rugby Academy Angus Fraser from Scottish Rugby Academy Alex Samuel from Scottish Rugby Academy Max Williamson from Scottish Rugby Academy Euan Ferrie from Scottish Rugby Academy
Player transfers
In
JP du Preez from Sale Sharks Sione Vailanu from Worcester Warriors Huw Jones from Harlequins Sintu Manjezi from Bulls Allan Dell from London Irish Joel Hodgson from Newcastle Falcons Lucio Sordoni from Mont-de-Marsan Logan Trotter from Stirling Wolves Cameron Jones from Ayrshire Bulls Will Hunt from Ayrshire Bulls Gregor Hiddleston from Stirling Wolves Cameron Neild from Worcester Warriors Jack Mann from Heriots Max Williamson from London Scottish (loan ends) Jamie Drummond from London Scottish (loan ends) Facundo Cordero from Exeter Chiefs
Out
Kiran McDonald to Wasps Hamish Bain to Jersey Reds Robbie Fergusson released Rob Harley to US Carcassonne Tom Lambert to Waratahs Ewan McQuillin released Grant Stewart to Connacht Ratu Tagive released Robbie McCallum to London Scottish Joel Hodgson to Utah Warriors Logan Trotter to London Irish Max Williamson to London Scottish (loan) Jamie Drummond to London Scottish (loan) Rufus McLean released Walter Fifita released Will Hunt to Preston Grasshoppers Cameron Jones to Edinburgh
Competitions
Pre-season and friendlies
It was announced that the Warriors would play 2 pre-season matches in September. The first, against Worcester Warriors, would take place in the Inverness Caledonian Thistle stadium as part of the celebration of the centenary of Highland RFC. The last time the Warriors played at the Inverness ground was on 25 March 2000 when they played Edinburgh Rugby there.
Unfortunately Worcester Warriors were in financial trouble; and facing administration they pulled out of the tie. Reigning Super 6 champions Ayrshire Bulls were then named as the replacement side.
Although named in the Warriors replacements, both Will Hunt and Ben Afshar came on for Ayrshire Bulls.
The next match due on 9 September 2022 against Ulster was also cancelled, due to the death of Queen Elizabeth the previous day.
Both Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby were invited to play sides in the Super Six Sprint Series against the Super 6 sides. Both released 'A' sides for the competition, featuring a number of international players in their squads.
Match 1 - Warriors Cup
Glasgow Warriors:
Worcester Warriors:
Match 2
Glasgow Warriors: Nathan McBeth, Johnny Matthews, Simon Berghan, Lewis Bean, Richie Gray, Sintu Manjezi, Thomas Gordon, Sione Vailanu, George Horne, Domingo Miotti, Kyle Steyn, Tom Jordan, Stafford McDowall, Walter Fifita, Cole Forbes Replacements: Fraser Brown, Murphy Walker, Lucio Sordoni, Alex Samuel, Euan Ferrie, JP du Preez, Ryan Wilson, Jack Dempsey, Cameron Jones, Ben Afshar, Joel Hodgson, Will Hunt, Andy Stirrat, Ross McKnight, Sebastián Cancelliere
Ayrshire Bulls: Liam McNamara; J Shedden, R Beattie, A Stirrat, T Glendinning; R Simpson, J Lenac; A Nimmo, J Malcolm, M Scott, E Bloodworth, A Samuel, R Jackson, Lewis McNamara, B Macpherson (captain) Replacements: W Farquhar, A Rogers, A McGuire, J Drummond, C Henderson, E Hamilton-Bulger, T Brown, G Wilson, F Climo, C Elliot, A Tait, E Caven.
Match 3
Glasgow Warriors: 1. Nathan McBeth, 2. Johnny Matthews, 3. Murphy Walker, 4. Lewis Bean, 5. Richie Gray, 6. Sintu Manjezi, 7. Thomas Gordon, 8. Jack Dempsey, 9. George Horne, 10. Domingo Miotti, 11. Walter Fifita, 12. Tom Jordan, 13. Stafford McDowall, 14. Kyle Steyn (C), 15. Cole Forbes Replacements: Fraser Brown, Jamie Bhatti, Lucio Sordoni, JP du Preez, Ryan Wilson, Sione Vailanu, Euan Ferrie, Cam Jones, Duncan Weir, Sam Johnson, Ross McKnight, Sebastian Cancelliere.
Ulster: 1. Eric O’Sullivan, 2. Tom Stewart, 3. Jeff Toomaga-Allen, 4. Sam Carter 5. Cormac Izuchukwu, 6. Matty Rea, 7. Sean Reffell, 8. David McCann (Captain), 9. Nathan Doak, 10. Jake Flannery, 11. Jacob Stockdale, 12. Angus Curtis, 13. Stewart Moore, 14. Rob Baloucoune, 15. Rory Telfer Replacements: Callum Reid, John Andrew, Declan Moore, Gareth Milasinovich, Frank Bradshaw-Ryan, Harry Sheridan, Jordi Murphy, Lorcan McLoughlin, Dave Shanahan, Michael McDonald, Ian Madigan, Rob Lyttle, Craig Gilroy, Shea O’Brien.
Match 4