The 2026–27 season is Glasgow Warriors' sixth season in the United Rugby Championship, and 28th in all formats of the competition including the Welsh–Scottish League. Along with competing in the URC and its Scottish–Italian Shield competition, the club will also participate in the 2026–27 European Rugby Champions Cup and the 1872 Cup.
Glasgow Warriors enter the URC Scottish–Italian Shield as reigning champions, following a fourth triumph in the competition, and as holders of the 1872 Cup.
Team
Coaches
Head coach: Franco Smith Assistant coach: Nigel Carolan Assistant coach: Scott Forrest Assistant coach: Roddy Grant Scrum Coach: Alasdair Dickinson Senior Academy Coach: Shade Munro
Athletic Performance
Head Strength and Conditioning Coach: Liam Walshe Senior Athletic Performance Coach: Al Strokosch Sport Scientist: Andy Ryan Senior Academy Athletic Performance Coach: Luke O'Dea
Medical
Team Doctor: Neil Howie Clinical Manager and Lead Physiotherapist: Andrew Boag Senior Team Physiotherapist: Michael Clark Junior Physiotherapist: Josh Kennedy Junior Physiotherapist: Sean Hannon
Analysis
Lead Performance Analyst: Greg Woolard Asst. Performance Analyst: Alex Geddes Senior Academy Performance Analyst: Eilidh Wright
Rugby Operations
Rugby Operations Manager: John Manson Player Development Manager: Stuart Dow Assistant Operations Manager: Stuart Lewis Kit & Equipment Manager: Dougie Mills
Commercial
Head of Commercial: Glen Tippett Lead Account Manager: Rachael McConnell Account Manager: Courtney McBain Partnership Account Manager: Rachel Bradley Partnership and Sales Manager and Rugby Ambassador: Ryan Wilson Account Executive: Katie Miller
Marketing
Marketing and brand manager: Claire Scott
Communications
Lead Communications and External Affairs Manager: Jack McIlroy Reid Media Manager: Craig Wright Social Media Manager : Darcie Morris Content Producer: Cameron Avery
Operations
Head of Operations: Fraser Michie Stadium Operations Manager: Jana Tobin Events and Operations Executive: Caitlin Chase Operations Executive: Ross Lowther Community Engagement Manager: Ciera Campbell
Executive
Managing Director: Kenny Brown Chairman: Charles Shaw Advisory Group: Walter Malcolm, Douglas McCrea, Alan Lees, Paul Taylor, Frank Mitchell, Scott Mathieson
Squad Hookers
Angus Fraser Gregor Hiddleston Seb Stephen Tavi Tuipulotu
Props
Zander Fagerson Nathan McBeth Fin Richardson Patrick Schickerling Rory Sutherland Sam Talakai Murphy Walker
Locks
Ryan Burke Alex Craig Scott Cummings Jare Oguntibeju Alex Samuel Max Williamson Loose Forwards
Gregor Brown Rory Darge Macenzzie Duncan Matt Fagerson Euan Ferrie Ruaraidh Hart Ally Miller Jamie Ritchie Ruwald van der Merwe
Scrum halves
Ben Afshar Jamie Dobie George Horne Jack Oliver
Fly halves
Dan Lancaster Charlie Savala Matthew Urwin Centres
Bayley Kuenzle Stafford McDowall Duncan Munn Kyle Steyn Sione Tuipulotu Johnny Ventisei Kerr Yule
Back Three
Kerr Johnston Josh McKay Kyle Rowe Ollie Smith Fergus Watson
Academy Scottish Rugby Academy Stage 3 players
These players are given a professional contract by the Scottish Rugby Academy. To be involved in the Scottish Rugby Academy all players must commit to play for Scotland and cannot play for any other nation while in the 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 2026–27.
Academy players promoted in the course of the season are listed with the main squad.
Max Morrison - Prop Jackson Rennie - Prop Jake Shearer – Prop Oliver McKenna – Prop Joe Roberts – Hooker Dan Halkon – Lock Rory Baxter - Flanker Dylan Cockburn - Flanker Josh Mackenzie – Flankerhttps://www.glasgowwarriors.com/articles/news/013275.php Lloyd Moncrieff - Flanker Harvey Preston – Flanker Rory Purvis – Flanker Callum Reidy - Scrum half Henry Armstrong - Fly half Alex Brydon - Centre Campbell Waugh – Centre James Mackenzie – Winghttps://www.glasgowwarriors.com/articles/news/013275.php Harry Provan – Wing Guy Rogers – Wing Cameron Van Wyk – Wing
Back up players
Other players used by Glasgow Warriors over the course of the season.
Jamie McAughtrie (Ayr RFC) - Hookerhttps://glasgowwarriors.org/news-and-features/squad-named-for-pre-season-opener-4/ Gregor Johnston (Glasgow Hawks) - Scrum Halfhttps://glasgowwarriors.org/news-and-features/squad-named-for-pre-season-opener-4/
Staff movements
Coaches
Personnel in
Duncan Weir (Academy coach)
Personnel out
Medical
Personnel in
Personnel out
Staff
Personnel in
Personnel out
Player movements
Academy promotions
None as yet.
Player transfers
In
Ruwald van der Merwe from Pumashttps://glasgowwarriors.org/news-and-features/glasgow-warriors-sign-van-der-merwe/ Bayley Kuenzle from Western Force Jamie Ritchie from Perpignan Ruaraidh Hart from Stirling County
Out
Jamie Bhatti to Bath Johnny Matthews to Montauban Jack Dempsey to Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyohttps://www.scotlandrugbynews.com/news/26244868.dempseys-japanese-club-confirmed-following-glasgow-warriors-exit/ Huw Jones to Toulon Duncan Weir retired Adam Hastings to Montpellier Sione Vailanu to Biarritz Brent Jackson to Rotherham Titanshttps://www.glasgowwarriors.com/articles/news/013372.php Grant Stewart releasedhttps://glasgowwarriors.org/news-and-features/stewart-departs-glasgow-warriors/
Competitions
Pre-season and friendlies
Warriors confirmed an early September pre-season friendly with Newcastle Red Bulls on 5 September 2026. The match starts at 5pm. It will be the first time that Glasgow Warriors played the Newcastle side since April 2022 when the Glasgow Warriors won a European Challenge Cup match with the then Newcastle Falcons by 29 points to 19 points.https://glasgowwarriors.org/news-and-features/glasgow-warriors-to-begin-pre-season-at-newcastle-red-bulls/
A pre-season friendly was announced, with last year's hosts Bath, this time heading north. The match however with not be played at Scotstoun; instead Glasgow Warriors will play the match at the High School of Glasgow's rugby ground at the Old Anniesland complex.https://glasgowwarriors.org/news-and-features/warriors-to-host-bath-in-pre-season-clash-at-old-anniesland/ Glasgow Warriors are no strangers to Old Anniesland, they played some Celtic League matches there back in the day, but it has been over twenty years since they last played there. Coincidentally that match was also played on 18 September; back in 2004-05 season and then Glasgow Warriors beat their oldest rival Edinburgh Rugby in a 12-10 derby win, in a towsy match where at one point they were down to 13 players.https://web.archive.org/web/20161220135630/http://rd.pro12rugby.com/matchcentre/4827.php
The match pitting a Glasgow Warriors - with few exceptions, where almost every player was either an academy player or an academy graduate of the previous season - against a full powered Bath side with Finn Russell, Will Stuart, Josh Bayliss and Sam Underhill among them, was a huge task for Glasgow's youngsters. Nevertheless, it was a match where they had more possession and more entries into the opposition 22 and stood up well to Bath's physicality. They couldn't match Bath's experience though and the Somerset side simply picked off the Glasgow side when they lost the ball with Finn Russell pulling the strings and starting Bath's attacks. The match ended 9 tries to 1 for the Bath side.
From The Scotsman:https://www.scotsman.com/sport/rugby-union/strong-bath-outclass-youthful-glasgow-warriors-as-finn-russell-pulls-the-strings-9095149 Ultimately, there were positives to take from the final results. Physically it wasn’t nearly as one sided as the final score line would suggest, but it was the quality of Bath’s defence and precision when in attack that was the difference. Warriors stood up well to their far more experienced opponents and made them work hard for their points. They were realistically unlucky not to add more scores of their own but time and again they were cut off by a huge defensive effort.
Franco Smith was full of positives for his young side at the end of the match: "We did expect them to be as physical as they were, and I think that was the main lesson. I think the three objectives we had was to be brave, to be physical and to show the effort, and I thought we've seen that. I'm excited because we want to measure ourselves against the best. It's easy to explain to the boys in a Monday morning meeting. This is going to be tough and it's going to be hard, and remember, these guys are top in the Premiership. They've been consistent in Europe and played in the semi-finals, quarter-finals last year. They're a good side, it's going to be physical. So if they get that experience, then that's fantastic."https://www.glasgowwarriors.com/articles/match/013328.php
A mid-season friendly was announced by Leicester Tigers, stating that they would play Glasgow Warriors on 27 November 2027 at Welford Road.https://www.leicestertigers.com/news/tigers-to-face-glasgow-warriors-in-mid-season-friendly
Match 1
Newcastle Red Bulls: 15 Josh Hodge, 14 Christian Wade, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Will Rigg, 11 Werner Kok, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Raffi Quirke; 1 Micky Rewcastle, 2 George McGuigan, 3 James Harper, 4 Rusi Tuima, 5 Cam Jordan, 6 Sam Graham, 7 Tom Christie (captain), 8 Ollie Leatherbarrow.
Replacements: Elvis Kitenge-Fuki, George Bolam, James Elliott, Jake Dalziel, Sammy Arnold, Zuriel Togiatama, Tom West, Murray McCallum, Oscar Usher, Allan Ferrie, Alfie Warwick, Oli Spencer, Harrison Obatoyinbo
Glasgow Warriors: 15 Fergus Watson, 14 Cameron van Wyk, 13 Kerr Johnston, 12 Kerr Yule, 11 Guy Rogers, 10 Matthew Urwin, 9 Jack Oliver; 1 Jake Shearer, 2 Tavi Tuipulotu, 3 Murphy Walker, 4 Dan Halkon, 5 Jare Ogntibeju, 6 Dylan Cockburn, 7 Angus Fraser, 8 Macenzzie Duncan.
Replacements: 6 Jamie McAughtrie, 17 Patrick Schickerling, 18 Sam Talakai, 19 Ruaraidh Hart, 20 Euan Ferrie, 21 Callum Reidy, 22 Johnny Ventisei, 23 Bayley Kuenzle, 16 Joe Roberts, 17 Ollie McKenna, 20 Harvey Preston, 9 Gregor Johnston, 10 Dan Lancaster, 11 Harry Provan, 14 Alex Bryden, 15 Josh McKay
Match 2
Glasgow Warriors: 15 Fergus Watson, 14 Cameron van Wyk, 13 Johnny Ventisei, 12 Bayley Kuenzle, 11 Guy Rogers, 10 Matthew Urwin, 9 Callum Reidy, 1 Jake Shearer, 2 Tavi Tuipulotu, 3 Fin Richardson, 4 Ruaraidh Hart, 5 Dan Halkon, 6 Ally Miller [capt], 7 Angus Fraser, 8 Macenzzie Duncan
Replacements: Joe Roberts, Seb Stephen, Nathan McBeth, Ollie McKenna, Murphy Walker, Max Williamson, Dylan Cockburn, Harvey Preston, Jack Oliver, Gregor Johnston, Ollie Smith, Dan Lancaster, Harry Provan, Kerr Yule, Kerr Johnston, Alex Bryden, Sam Talakai, Josh McKay
Bath: 01. Beno Obano, 02. Dan Frost, 03. Will Stuart, 04. Ted Hill, 05. Charlie Ewels [capt], 06. Guy Pepper, 07. Sam Underhill, 08. Josh Bayliss, 09. Bernard Van der Linde, 10. Finn Russell, 11. Tom De Glanville, 12. Max Ojomoh, 13. Ollis Lawrence, 14. Joe Cokonasiga, 15. Santiago Carreras
Replacements: Jamie Bhatti, Tom Carr-Smith, Ieuan Davies, Ciaran Donoghue, Dan du Preez, Tom Dunn, Austin Emens, Arthur Green, Archie Griffin, Charlie Griffin, Jack Harrison, Will Jeanes, Scott Kirk, Ross Molony, Cameron Redpath, Miles Reid, Ewan Richards, Quinn Roux, George Timmins, Kepueli Tuipulotu, Claudius Wheeler, Jack Woods
Match 3
Leicester Tigers:
Replacements:
Glasgow Warriors:
Replacements:
United Rugby Championship
Matches Glasgow Warriors will begin their sixth URC campaign away to longtime Irish rivals Munster.
Standings
URC Scottish–Italian Shield Glasgow Warriors enter the Shield as defending champions, and four-time winners of the competition.
European Rugby Champions Cup