Sutherland: Club uncertainty won't hinder World Cup prep
Scotland prop Rory Sutherland aims to have his club future resolved before the World Cup but insists the uncertainty won’t hinder his preparations for the tournament.
The 30-year-old loosehead was listed as ‘unattached’ on Gregor Townsend’s 33-man squad list for the tournament, having left Ulster at the end of last season.
The Belfast-based province offered the Lions front-rower a short-term deal last October after the demise of his former club Worcester Warriors.
Sutherland, whose wife Tammy is expecting their third child any day now, admits he would prefer to return to Scotland, having endured a turbulent period living away from his family while at Ulster.
Glasgow, who have fellow Scotland squad loosehead Jamie Bhatti on their books, were previously interested in bringing the former Edinburgh prop home at the time Worcester were wound up.
But Sutherland, who started Scotland’s first warm-up Test against Italy and won his 25th cap as a replacement against France in Saint-Etienne last Saturday, is keeping his options open.
“I would like to stay in Scotland and I’ve made that clear, so we’ll see what happens,” he said. “Me and my wife are trying to be very open-minded about it, trying to broaden our horizons and take everything into consideration.
“With a young family, I’d obviously rather have a contract and know what I’m doing and be settled. But it’s one of those things you can’t control. The only thing I can control is playing well, and hopefully by doing that, it will take care of a better contract.
“These warm-up games have only helped with that, teams looking at me and being in touch with my agent, so he’s working hard in the background, speaking to clubs. I’m hoping to be signed up before the World Cup starts, but if that doesn’t happen, that’s OK.
“It’s always going to be in the back of my mind thinking about where I’m going to end up, club-wise. But my main focus now is the World Cup and looking forward to playing South Africa.”
After a final warm-up Test against Georgia at Murrayfield a week on Saturday, 26 August, Scotland will open their Pool B campaign against the Springboks in Marseille on September 10, before facing Tonga, Romania and Ireland in their remaining group games.
Being part of their summer training camps has at least allowed Sutherland to spend more time at home in the Scottish Borders with Tammy and his two sons, 11-year-old Mason and Hamish, seven, after a tumultuous season where the uncertainty caused by Worcester’s demise was replaced by a different type of personal torment.
“What has happened over these past eight months or so has been really hard for me,” he said. “I’d be lying if I said I was over what happened at Worcester.
“I always promised myself when I became a player and had a young family that I would never let rugby break us apart as a family. But it did for a little while – we were a broken family.
“I was living over in Ireland while Tammy and the kids stayed in Worcester for a while. Then they moved back to Scotland in November last year, so I was travelling back and forth from Belfast to Edinburgh. It was tough, a real emotional ride for me, Tammy and the kids.
“I was getting on a plane in Belfast, I’d get home and have that massive feeling of happiness seeing them again. But you know it is only going to last 24 or 48 hours. Then they are driving me back up to the airport and it is sadness again that I am leaving, not knowing when I am going to be back or when they are coming to visit me.”
Happily the Sutherland clan have been reunited in recent months, as they prepare to welcome a new family member.
“He should be here anytime now,” added Sutherland, who is scheduled to fly to Scotland’s World Cup base in Nice on 3 September with the rest of the squad.
“We’re hoping the baby arrives in the next few days. It’s another boy so hopefully I’ll get to see him before I leave and spend a bit of time with him over the next couple of weeks. It will be hard for Tammy when I’m away but she’ll be OK – she’ll cope.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
31 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
31 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
31 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to comments