Warriors confirm that 10 players are heading for the exit at Scotstoun
Glasgow Warriors have confirmed the 10 players who will be leaving the club at the end of this season, an exodus that includes four Scotland internationals. Alex Dunbar and Kevin Bryce will depart Scotstoun at the conclusion of the current campaign, the pair joining Stuart Hogg and Jamie Bhatti in moving on to pastures new.
Hogg, whose move south to join Exeter was confirmed earlier this season, will leave the club after eight years, scoring 30 tries in over a century of appearances with the Warriors. The 67-times capped Scotland full-back and two-time British and Irish Lion has been a key component in the most successful spell in Glasgow’s history, helping the club to an inaugural Guinness PRO12 title in 2014/15 in addition to a brace of European quarter-finals.
Fellow centurion Dunbar will also be moving on at the end of the season, following 119 caps in a decade-long career at Scotstoun. The 28-year-old, currently on loan at Newcastle Falcons, was a fixture in the Warriors midfield during his time at the club, with his brand of hard-running rugby making him a threat to defences throughout the league.
Loosehead prop Bhatti will make the journey along the M8 at the end of the current campaign, with the 25-year-old set to join Edinburgh next season. The former Stirling County and Melrose man made his first appearance for the Warriors in a 63-0 pre-season win over Canada A at Bridgehaugh, going on to make his Scotland debut in the victory over Samoa in November 2017.
Bryce, who has earned three caps for his country, has made 25 appearances over two spells at the club, having re-joined the Warriors in the summer of 2018. A former recipient of the Macphail Scholarship, the hooker was part of the Scotland squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, making one appearance in the group stage win over the USA.
📰 | Glasgow Warriors confirm departures: https://t.co/ONegQ98Yin#OnceAWarriorAlwaysAWarrior pic.twitter.com/W5pmVzFjUV
— Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) April 25, 2019
Two more hookers will join Bryce in leaving the club at the end of the season, with the departures of Robbie Smith and James Malcolm having already been confirmed. Scottish Rugby academy stage three player Smith, who made his debut in the 9-3 win over the Ospreys in January, will join Bedford Blues ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.
He will come up against Malcolm in next season’s English Championship, with the 24-year-old having signed with London Scottish for next season. Malcolm will join up with Lewis Wynne at the Richmond Athletic Ground, after the back row’s loan switch to London Scottish was made permanent last month.
Finally, New Zealand winger Lelia Masaga will depart Scotstoun at the end of the season, bringing an end to a two-year stint with the Warriors. The 32-year-old has made eight appearances for Dave Rennie’s side, scoring his sole try for the club in last season’s victory over Zebre at Scotstoun.
Second row duo Brian Alainu’uese and Greg Peterson both left the club during the 2018/19 campaign, joining Toulon and Bordeaux-Begles respectively.
Glasgow boss Dave Rennie, said: “It says a lot about the club that so many players are staying but as is always the case in sport, people sometimes need new experiences and challenges. Stuart Hogg and Alex Dunbar especially, they have both played over 100 games and given a decade of service to Glasgow Warriors and have played a huge part in helping the club get to where it is today.
“Everyone leaves with our blessing and best wishes for the future and we look forward to spending the next few weeks together as a group and can hopefully make some special memories together. We’re desperate to give the men who won’t be here next year a send-off appropriate to what they’ve given to this club in the remaining games of the season.”
Glasgow Warriors Leavers 2018/19
Brian Alainu’uese – 22 Glasgow appearances
Jamie Bhatti – 13 Scotland caps, 44 Glasgow appearances
Kevin Bryce – 3 Scotland caps, 25 Glasgow appearances, 1 try
Alex Dunbar – 31 Scotland caps, 119 Glasgow appearances, 15 tries
Stuart Hogg – 7 British and Irish Lions appearances, 67 Scotland caps, 118 Glasgow appearances, 220 points, 30 tries
James Malcolm – 25 Glasgow appearances, 3 tries
Lelia Masaga – 8 Glasgow appearances, 1 try
Greg Peterson – 31 Glasgow appearances, 3 tries
Robbie Smith – 1 Glasgow appearance
Lewis Wynne – 18 Glasgow appearances
WATCH: Big Jim Hamilton catches up with Stuart Hogg in RugbyPass Ventures
Comments on RugbyPass
Pretty good side. Scott Barrett should be the captain. Ethan Blackadder a great choice at blindside. He is going to go from strength to strength having made a couple of starts for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson rates him highly. Perenara could start a no 9.
3 Go to commentsI question and with respect. Was enough done over the last few years to bring through new blood knowing the Whitelocks and co couldn’t last forever. There should have been more done to future proof the team. New squad new coach, he and they weren’t set up well. IMO
6 Go to commentsJacobsen will definitely be in the 23
3 Go to commentsLots of discussion points, Ben, but two glaring follies IMO: 1. Blackadder at 6. Has done nothing so far this season to justify his selection. Did you see him going backwards in contact at the weekend? Simply has not got the physical presence at 6: we need a Scott Barrett or a Finau (or wildcard Ah Kuoi), beasts who are big enough to play lock, like Frizzell. If Barret played at 6, Paddy could be joined at lock by Vai’i or one of the young giants we need to promote, like Darry or Lord (if he ever gets on the field). Blackadder best left to join the queue for 7. 2. Not even a mention for Christie? Ratima gets caught at crucial times at the back of the ruck when he hesitates on the pass. The only way he starts would be if Christie and TJ are injured.
3 Go to commentsWhat a dagg in more ways than one
6 Go to commentsRegroup come back next year but sack some of the coaching team and don't be like the ABs last minute sacking. If Crusaders don't do well ABs don't do well.
5 Go to commentsProctor Definitely inform again this year had a hell of a season last year and this year is looking even better. Still mixed feelings about Ioane tho.
4 Go to commentsDagg is still trying to get enough headlines to make himself relevant enough to get a job. The Crusaders went back to square one at all levels. Shelve this season and nail the next one.
6 Go to commentsHe was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
5 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to comments