'It will fuel me': Kyle Rowe eyes play-off role after signing new Glasgow deal

Glasgow wing Kyle Rowe will use his absence from last year’s URC knockout stage as fuel for the impending play-offs after signing a two-year contract extension with the club.

The versatile back-three man enjoyed a stellar first campaign last season after joining Warriors following the financial collapse of London Irish, scoring 12 tries in 17 starts.

But Rowe was left out of Franco Smith’s match-day 23 for all three of Glasgow’s knockout games, which saw them beat Stormers at home and Munster and Bulls away to claim a memorable URC crown.

The 27-year-old has not been quite as prolific this term, scoring four tries, but again has added plenty of value and versatility with nine starts on the wing and eight at full-back.

He started at No.15 in Glasgow’s last match of the regular URC season, a 13-5 defeat by Leinster in Dublin, where they may return for a third time this season in the semi-finals if they overcome Stormers at Scotstoun on Friday – a repeat of last year’s quarter-final – and Leinster beat Scarlets.

But with first-choice full-back Josh McKay available again after missing the last three games and captain Kyle Steyn, Sebastian Cancelliere and the versatile Jamie Dobie and Ollie Smith also vying for back-three spots, Rowe knows nothing is guaranteed as Warriors set about trying to repeat last year’s knockout triumph.

“Of course I’m gutted I didn’t play, but it’s the team that Franco chose and I’m still buzzing for the team that we got over the line,” he said. “I still played a massive part in the season, I had the whole season playing a good few games. It will fuel me going into this weekend as well, whether I’m picked or not.

“You want to play in these massive games. I still don’t know the team yet, but I’m hoping I’ll be part of the squad. We know it’s going to be a massive challenge, but I think we’re all raring to go.”

Rowe can take a bigger-picture view of selection setbacks having had to show plenty of resilience in recent years.

He was forced to work night shifts at an Amazon warehouse after losing his Scotland Sevens deal during the Covid pandemic before being picked up by London Irish.

After a sparkling season he then ruptured his ACL on his Scotland debut as a replacement against Argentina in the summer of 2022, missing most of the following campaign, before finding himself unemployed after the Exiles went into administration.

But handed a lifeline by Glasgow, his own career has blossomed, collecting 11 more Scotland caps over the last two years.

While fellow wings Cancelliere and Facundo Cordero are among eight players leaving the club this summer, Rowe’s future is secure until at least the end of the 2026-27 season.

“The last two years I’ve been injury-free, touch wood, and playing some good rugby so I can’t really complain,” he said. “As much as I didn’t have any other option when London Irish folded, it was a pretty easy decision for me to re-sign with Glasgow. I’m still thankful for them giving me that opportunity.

“We’re keeping a lot of the squad still. There are some boys leaving, but that’s going to happen every season. There’s a really big vision with the club and I’m glad to be a part of it.

“The last few results obviously didn’t go our way, but that’s just a small hiccup compared to the whole season, where we’ve been playing really well. We just need to go back to what we’ve done well the whole season and take it into these next three games.”