Warriors sign Scottish-qualified Aussie centre Tuipulotu from Japanese club
Glasgow Warriors have signed the Scottish-qualified, Australian-born centre Sione Tuipulotu from the Japanese club Yamaha Jubilo.
He will move to Scotstoun at the conclusion of the Top League season, the final of which is scheduled for May 23.
Tuipulotu is 24 and qualifies for Scotland through his Glaswegian grandmother. He playedformelbournerebelsin Super Rugby before moving to Yamaha Jubilo in 2020 for his second stint with the Japanese club.
He can also play on the wing and was a member of the Australia squad for the World Rugby U20 Championships in 2015, 2016 and 2017, scoring two tries in the 2016 tournament against a Scotland side featuring future team-mates Scott Cummings and Zander Fagerson.
He said: “I think my play style suitsthewarriors'style.i’mabit ofarugbynerdandi’vewatched alotoftheirgames-i’vehearda lot about the speed of the Scotstounpitchandi’mlookingforward to playing that attacking fast style of rugby.”
Glasgowwilllosecentrehuw Jonesandstand-offadamhastings at the end of the campaign and Tuipulotu is their fourth high-profile recruit from overseas in recent weeks.
Warriors have also signed Australian international backrow Jack Dempsey and New Zealand back-three U20 internationals Josh Mckay and Cole Forbes as Danny Wilson reshapes his squad.
“I’m really excited for the next chapter in my rugby journey,” Tuipulotu told www.glasgowwarriors.org. “I’ve been talking to Danny for quite some time and for this to come to fruition is pretty exciting.
“I’ve been enjoying my rugby in Japan and I’m looking to give itmyallthisseasonbeforecoming to Glasgow. I’m absolutely fizzing to get over to Scotland,
earn the boys’ respect and get the season under way.”
Warriors described 5ft 11in 16-stone centre Tuipulotu as a “dynamic ball-carrier with impressive footwork”.
He made 11 appearances in Super Rugby side Melbourne Rebelsandplayedinaustralia’s Nationalrugbychampionship for Melbourne Rising.
Wilsonsaid:“sioneisanexcitmeanwhile,
ing talent. He’s Scottish-qualified, and a really physical and powerful ball carrier who can play both centre and wing.
“His skill set and play style complements the way we want to play. We’re look forward to welcoming him to Scotstoun in the summer.”
His two-try performance for Australia U20 against their Scottishcounterpartscameina 35-19 win at the play-off stage of the2016worldrugbyunder-20 Championship in Manchester. The young Scots had earlier beaten the Junior Wallabies 15-10 in the group stage – their first ever win over Australia at that level.
Zander Fagerson and Darcy Grahamscoredscotland’stries, with Tuipulotu not playing on that occasion.
Glasgow Warriors are waiting to learn the length of Hastings’ suspension following his red card against Leinster on Sunday.
The stand-off was sent off in the 40-21 defeat in Dublin when his extended right leg caught Leinster’s Cian Kelleher in the face as Hastings tried to catch a high ball while leaning backwards.
Gemma Dryburgh eased her frustration over a reset of the LPGA exemption list, which left the Scottish No 1 frozen out at the start of the new season, by landing an impressive mini-tour win in Florida.
Playing on the National Women’s Golf Association circuit, the Aberdonian shot rounds of 65-67 at Stoneybrook East Golf Club in Orlando for a 12-under-par total, winning by seven shots from China’s Hexi Yuan.
“It was fun to get the win and shoot a couple of low scores,” said Dryburgh, inset, who also landed two victories in the Rose Ladies Series last year, including the first women’s professional event at Royal St George’s. “I wanted to use these mini-tour events to get the rust off after a few months off, but to get a win feels fantastic and gives me a big confidence boost in where my game is at the moment. My putting was very good, so it was great to see all the hard work I’ve put in over the off season pay off.”
Dryburgh, based in Buckinghamshire, was fourth in the LET’S Bonville Classic in Australia last year, then sixth in the LPGA Tour’s Drive On Championship in July. But her category didn’t get her into the opening two events on the 2021 LPGA schedule and chances could be few and far between on the main tour this season. “I hope I will start to get into the LPGA events in either Hawaii or the Kingsmill event in Virginia,” she said. “Then, hopefully, I can work my way up the list after the first reshuffle of the year. I am excited, as I think my game is in a really good spot, so I am just itching to get my first start on the LPGA this year.”