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Scotland hooker George Turner to team up with former coach in Japan
By Josh Raisey
Scotland hooker George Turner has signed for Japan Rugby League One outfit Kobelco Kobe Steelers ahead of next season, as reported by RugbyPass.
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The 31-year-old’s departure from Glasgow Warriors at the end of the season was announced recently, but the Steelers have finally confirmed a move that had been speculated for weeks.
Glasgow boss Franco Smith had been coy over his hooker’s future when questioned in April, saying “I can’t confirm or deny anything. I’m definitely sure they have had conversations, that I can tell you.”
Turner will team up with his former Warriors coach Dave Rennie in Japan, who guided his side to a fifth-place finish in the league this season.
The hooker has been a mainstay in Gregor Townsend’s Scotland team over the past 18 months, starting in 15 of their last 18 Tests, but this move will likely put his international career on hold for now.
With Glasgow facing Munster in the United Rugby Championship semi-finals on Saturday at Thomond Park, Turner’s tenure with the team is not over yet. He returned from injury last week in the quarter-final victory over the Stormers, making his 100th appearance for the club from the bench. He will be gunning for two more appearances before he embarks for Japan.
“I’m really looking forward to playing for Kobe,” the 45-cap Scot said to his new club after his signing was announced.
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“I couldn’t pass up such a great opportunity to live and play in Japan, I’ve always wanted to go back since the World Cup.
“Kobe are a great team, and I can’t wait to add whatever I can to their success. It’s a wonderful adventure for myself but also my family, who will gain do much from the experience.
Japanese rugby is super exciting and I’m looking forward to taking on the challenge!”
It remains to be seen how the move will impact Turner’s Scotland career. There is nothing strictly precluding him from selection but the Japan Rugby League One schedule clashes directly with the Six Nations, placing his involvement in the tournament in obvious jeopardy.
Beyond Turner, Scotland currently have a shortage of obvious options at hooker, with Stuart McInally retiring last summer, Fraser Brown doing likewise this summer and Dave Cherry having dropped out of the national team picture since withdrawing from last year’s World Cup squad with a concussion sustained when he slipped on the stairs at the team hotel in Nice during a team day off.
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If Turner becomes unavailable as a result of his move, Edinburgh’s Ewan Ashman and free-scoring Glasgow forward Johnny Matthews would be the only established hookers available to head coach Townsend, who is due to face the media on Wednesday as he names his squad for the summer tour of North and South America.
Additional reporting from the PA.