Prop Fainga’anuku to join Worcester Warriors

Posted on Mar 21, 2013 in Worcester Warriors

Powerhouse prop Ofa Fainga’anuku is to join Worcester Warriors from next season after agreeing a deal to move to Sixways from RaboDirect PRO12 club Glasgow Warriors.

Giant front row Fainga’anuku – who stands a menacing 6ft tall and weighs 19 stone 10lb –represented Tonga in the 2012 Pacific Nations Cup and has previously had a spell with the Waratahs in Australia.

The 30-year-old, who has also featured for the Central Coast Rays and Eastern Suburbs in Sydney, started out in rugby league, but later switched to union.

Fainga’anuku signed for Glasgow in September 2012 on a short-term contract, but after impressing extended his stay to the end of this season.

Head Coach Richard Hill is delighted with his latest signing and believes the loosehead will be a powerful acquisition for Warriors.

“We looked at a number of props and there were several loose-heads in the market and available,” revealed Hill. “However, when all the coaches sat down and looked at video, it was very clear that Ofa was the one who made us all stand up. We quickly realised there was something special about him. He has that X-Factor.

“He is a big man but moves very quickly, a dynamic ball carrier and very good in defence which comes from his rugby league background.

“Ofa has grown up playing rugby league so has soft hands and likes to pass out of the tackle, but he also has a huge work-rate and the ability to tackle and get back in the line quickly.

“It’s vital that he can be strong in the scrum for us week in and week out. He has learnt very quickly from his spell in the RaboDirect PRO12 and impressed us in the set piece in games against Ulster, Cardiff Blues and Newport Gwent Dragons,” added Hill.

“Ofa is a very powerful man and will be one of the strongest in our squad. The strength and conditioning staff are naturally very excited about working with him.

“He has been to Sixways to see what we are all about and is now very keen to join us. He has been playing at a very good standard in Glasgow, with the Warriors topping the RaboDirect PRO12, and he is an international who wants to become a regular for his country.

“Ofa is an exciting signing for us and we are looking forward to him becoming a Warrior at Worcester.”

Troy Nathan to leave Glasgow Warriors

Posted on Jan 15, 2013 in Glasgow

Glasgow Warriors centre, Troy Nathan is to leave the club following the Heineken Cup match versus Northampton Saints this Saturday (19 January).

With Nathan’s regular position in the centre becoming an extremely competitive spot this season the two parties have agreed his release from the club.

He said: “I’m sorry to be leaving before the end of the season.

“I’ve enjoyed my time in Glasgow and I wish the Warriors squad all the best with the current campaign and beyond.

“I haven’t found another club yet, but I’ve never been fitter and I’m optimistic about the future.“

Glasgow Warriors head coach, Gregor Townsend, said: “Given the strength and depth that we now have in our midfield, Troy’s opportunities this season have been limited. With that in mind, both parties have agreed that it would be in Troy’s best interest to move on so that he can focus on securing his future at another club.

“We thank Troy for his contribution to Glasgow Warriors and wish him continued success in his future career.”

Since joining Glasgow Warriors in the summer of 2011, Nathan has had 17 RaboDirect PRO12 appearances, four Heineken Cup appearances and scored two tries.

Also, German Araoz completes his contract with the Warriors today having spent almost three months at the club. Townsend continued: "We’d like to thank German for coming to Glasgow at a time when a number of our props were injured. Though it is great to see Ed Kalman and Jon Welsh now return to fitness, German has been extremely valuable to us on and off the pitch.

"We wish him all the best with his future career."

Morrison makes first start for Glasgow since October

Posted on Jan 3, 2013 in Glasgow

Graeme Morrison will make his first start for Glasgow Warriors since October, as the Warriors prepare to welcome Italian side Benetton Treviso to Scotstoun on Friday night (4 January, kick-off 7.30pm)

Morrison, back to full fitness following rehabilitation on a knee injury, made a substitute appearance in the Heineken Cup against Castres at the start of December and will form part of a reshuffled back line from last week’s win away at Edinburgh.

One of four changes to the starting XV in total, he lines up alongside Alex Dunbar, who is also making his return from injury.

Tommy Seymour is restored to the wing in place of Sean Maitland while Stuart Hogg retains his place at full-back

Ruaridh Jackson starts at stand-off for the fourth game in a row, with Henry Pyrgos partnering him at half-back.

DTH van der Merwe, who became the club’s leading league try-scorer with a double against Edinburgh at Scotstoun, keeps his spot on the left-wing.

With back-to-back wins against Edinburgh in the bag, Warriors are looking to make it three in a row against a Treviso side who are on a winning run, having triumphed twice in their own local derby against Zebre over the festive period.

Head coach Gregor Townsend said: “It’s fantastic to have Graeme and Alex back starting for the team and it gives us yet more options in the midfield to add to an already deep list of talent.

“Alex was in fine form until he suffered his injury and it will be great to see him getting back to that level of performance.

“Everyone knows exactly what kind of influence Graeme can have on a match and against a tough side like Treviso, it’s great to have someone of his experience at inside-centre.

“The selection this week again highlights the quality available to us as coaches and the fact that even with three changes to the back-line, it’s still a very strong line-up.”

There are minimal changes in the pack, with the heavy-hitting back row of Rob Harley, Josh Strauss and last week’s man of the match, Ryan Wilson, again reunited.

In the second row, Tim Swinson comes in for Tom Ryder to partner captain Al Kellock. Ryan Grant, Doug Hall and Moray Low, hugely impressive in the scrum against Edinburgh, will again pack down together for the tough Treviso test.

Townsend continued: “We were disappointed not to have picked up bonus points in both our games against Edinburgh and although defensively we were superb, and our scrum was a real weapon for us, there are still areas we need to improve upon.

“Our discipline needs to be better and all the players know that there are chances we should have taken in terms of scoring tries in the last couple of games.

“With so many players returning back from injury the strength of the squad is good and it’s important that the whole group is constantly striving to find ways to improve as a team.

“We’re right in the mix in the PRO12, with just a couple of points separating five teams so we know that every match from now on is a big occasion and we will relish each challenge as they come along.”

The RaboDirect PRO12 match against Benetton Treviso is not being televised, so the only place to watch the game is in person at Scotstoun Stadium (Friday, 4 January, kick-off 7.30pm).

You can get your tickets by calling the ticket hotline on 0844 800 3490 or buying online. You can save a fiver on the cost of the matchday ticket by buying before midnight the day before the game.

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MacArthur commits his future to Glasgow

Posted on Jan 3, 2013 in Glasgow

Glasgow Warriors begin the New Year with more good news with another Warrior committing his future to the club.

Just a few days before welcoming Benetton Treviso for the first game of 2013, hooker Pat MacArthur has signed on the dotted line until at least May 2016.

The 25-year-old, who got his rugby education at Millbrae with Ayr RFC and with the West of Scotland club, is an energetic and robust front-rower who came through the national age-grade ranks before signing a professional contract with the Warriors.

He played under-18, under-19 and under-20 for Scotland and has established himself as one of the most consistent hookers in the country.

MacArthur said: “I’m really pleased to have signed this new deal and commit to the club. It’s great playing my rugby here and it’s great to be part of this squad.

“I’m a west coast boy and, having grown up playing rugby in the west, playing professionally for the Warriors is fantastic but it’s about all of us working together and getting success with this team.

“We are all pushing each other to get better as players and I’m certainly no different. There is terrific competition for the number 2 shirt with Dougie (Hall) and Fin (Gillies) but it’s about making the team as strong as it can be.

“I know I have to keep working hard on my game, keep looking at ways to improve if I’m to keep challenging for my place in the starting line-up.”

MacArthur signed his first full-time professional contract with Glasgow Warriors in 2009 and has now made more than 50 appearances for the Scotstoun outfit in both league and cup.

He’s the sixth player in recent weeks to have signed on for the long-term at Glasgow Warriors. He follows Al Kellock, Tom Ryder, Tommy Seymour, Peter Murchie and fellow front-row Mike Cusack in committing to the Warriors cause.

Glasgow Warriors play Benetton Treviso in the RaboDirect PRO12 on Friday, 4 January (kick-off 7.30pm). The game is not being televised so the only place to watch the Warriors is in person at Scotstoun Stadium.

Take Two for Tommy

Posted on Dec 18, 2012 in Glasgow

In the week that Glasgow Warriors prepare for the big city derby with near neighbours Edinburgh, their joint top try scorer this season, Tommy Seymour, has signed a new deal which will see him stay on at Scotstoun until at least the summer of 2015.

The US-born winger, who this season was called up for his first involvement in the Scotland squad, signed from Ulster Rugby in 2011, going on to make 14 appearances and notching two tries in his first season with the Warriors.
A hard-running back with great aerial skills and handling ability, the 24-year-old has become a rock solid performer for the Warriors with the happy knack of finding the try-line.

This season, Seymour recorded back-to-back doubles against Treviso and Dragons to add to a try against his former club Ulster on the opening day of the season. He leads the Warriors current try tally table with fellow winger DTH van der Merwe.

He said: “I said when I joined Glasgow that it was a little like coming home because of the family connection and I’m really settled here. The way the squad and team are developing is a massive factor in staying on because the players and coaches here do believe that we’re building towards something special.

“It’s an exciting place to be at the moment and even though the results don’t always go your way, we know we’re headed in the right direction.

“The game against Edinburgh this Friday at Scotstoun is massive for us as a club, not just because of the intensity of the rivalry, but for our season and for our position in the league it’s vital we do everything we can to pick up points.

“I came here to play regular rugby and to get that call-up to the Scotland squad was a real vindication of the hard work though I know, given the talent that is now in the Warriors squad, that I have to keep at it and keep trying to get better.”

Seymour boasts a rich and varied backstory, having been born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee before moving to Northern Ireland via a spell in Dubai, where his father was based for work. He qualifies for Scotland through his mother, who was born in Glasgow.