Warriors debut to cap whirlwind year for Ayr captain McCallum
TONIGHT at Bridgehaugh Peter McCallum will make his Glasgow Warriors debut against Canada A, a selection which caps a fantastic year for the 23-year-old Ayr captain.
Last season he topped the Premiership scoring charts with 15 tries, made his Scotland Club XV debut and was named as BT Premiership Player of the Season.
These achievements earned him an invitation to train with Glasgow Warriors in the pre-season, leading to tonight’s Warriors debut.
He said: “I was lucky, I could travel up to Scotstoun with Gordy Reid and Pat McArthur. The way they happily leave Ayr, to be at Scotstoun for 7am for their morning warm-up – 10km on a static bike before the team work, the skills session and the weights session – impressed upon me just how hard these guys work. It was an eye-opener, and a fantastic experience to bank.
“I also picked up some great tips from Gordy, Pat and the other Warriors, while Gregor Townsend was great with me.
“I had never even considered being good enough for professional rugby but after training with them, I am getting a game tonight. It’s brilliant, and, I would like more”.
Reflecting on his sudden rise, in the wake of leading Ayr to an opening day 53-10 drubbing of Currie, the down-to-earth McCallum admitted it had all been a bit of a whirlwind.
“Being elected captain was something of a shock to me, but it’s a huge honour and it closed a chapter,” he said. “I’ve been with the club since I was in primary and the First XV was the only team I hadn’t led since I first captained the Primary Seven Minis, so that’s another one ticked off the bucket list.”
Getting the job is a case of the captaincy coming back inside the Ayr family – recent Ayr captains have been recruited from elsewhere. Peter’s Uncle Colin led the club in the 1980s, Pete’s dad Chris was a Scotland Under-21 cap, cousin Richard used to play in the First XV.
“We have been regulars in the top four for the last few seasons, and the pressure is there to stay at the top of the table,” McCallum added. “I am looking to lead us to a home Play-Off semi-final – then we can take it from there. I believe, with the squad we have here, we can maintain our place among the leading clubs.”