TALKING WARRIORS CaptainCal signsup fortheKiwi invasionat Scotstoun
NEW Zealander Dave Rennie will be very familiar with at least one Glasgow Warriors player when he takes over as head coach next season – fellowKiwi Callum Gibbins, who has just signed a three-year contract.
An openside flanker, Gibbins plays for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby, and was captain of Manawatu Turbos, who were coached by Rennie and Jason O’Halloran.
Currently one of Vern Cotter’s assistant coaches with Scotland, O’Halloran will move to Scotstoun in the summer to work with Gibbins.
“Callum is a hard-working player with real leadership attributes and he’s another exciting addition to the squad for next season,” current Glasgow head coach Gregor Townsend said yesterday.
“He is part of a winning environment right now at the Hurricanes and is a player Dave and Jason know well from their time coaching him at Manawatu.”
Twenty-eight-year-old Gibbins, who has signed subject to getting a visa and passing a medical, said: “I’m excited about the opportunity to start a new journey with Glasgow Warriors in Scotland.
“I feel privileged to be in a situation where I can make a decision like this and I’m looking forward to the new experiences that lie ahead.
“Each of the teams I’ve represented, and all the fans who have supported those teams, hold a special place in my heart, and there is no doubt I’ll miss the people I’ve been involved in during my rugby career.”
The Hurricanes won Super Rugby last year, with Gibbins coming off the bench in the final against the Lions.
He has played 26 times in the competition so far, scoring three tries, and will join his new team-mates once his commitments with both the Hurricanes and Manawatu are complete.
Gibbins is the third new signing the Warriors have made this season, following Scotland centre Huw Jones and South African prop Oli Kebble, both of whom are joining from the Cape-Town-based Stormers. He will be a direct replacement for Italian openside Simone Favaro, who will leave at the end of this season.
JOSH STRAUSS is another back-row forward who is on his way out of Scotstoun, but Glasgow are still relatively strong in that area, with Ryan Wilson, Rob Harley, Adam Ashe and Chris Fusaro among the players they can field there.
Tim Swinson, who normally plays in the second row alongside Jonny Gray, can also pro- vide cover in the back row as he has shown for Scotland.
Whichever combination Rennie opts for once he takes over, however, there is no doubt that Gibbins has the potential to be a very valuable signing.
Injuries to both Favaro and Fusaro have meant that the Warriors have often gone into games without an out-and-out openside, so the New Zealander should bring a new dimension to the team’s forward play.
I’m excited about the opportunity to start a new journey with Glasgow Warriors