Hawick’s Rory Sutherland signs new deal with Glasgow Warriors
Borderer Rory Sutherland has agreed a new deal with Glasgow Warriors set to keep him at the Scotstoun Stadium club for at least another two and a half years.
The Hawick 33-year-old arrived at the United Rugby Championship side in summer 2024 from French Pro D2 outfit Oyonnax on a two-year deal initially but that’s now been extended to four years.
Sutherland has made 16 appearances for Warriors since at loosehead prop, five of them starts, and he says it was a no-brainer to commit his future to head coach Franco Smith’s club until summer 2028 at the earliest.
“I’ve really enjoyed the season and a half I’ve had here so far,” he told Warriors’ website.
“The boys and the coaches have made me feel really welcome and I’m enjoying my rugby, so it was an easy decision to re-sign.
“The move to Glasgow has been great for my family, too. It’s given us a sense of stability, and it’s been so good to have them coming to games regularly. There’s a great family feel to the club.
“The quality we have in this group is so impressive. I knew a lot of the guys from Scotland camp prior to arriving in Glasgow, but the senior academy lads have also really stood up and impressed for the club.
“There’s an exciting future in store, for sure.
“It’s a massive couple of weeks for us and the derbies over the next couple of weeks with Edinburgh will be a huge occasion for everyone at the club. I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Sutherland has been capped 46 times for Scotland since 2016, 21 of those appearances being as part of starting XVs, including for their most recent game, their 56-0 win against Tonga at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium last month.
He’s also been called up twice by the British and Irish Lions, playing six matches, two of them tests, in South Africa in 2021 and one in Australia in July, the latter as a late addition to head coach Andy Farrell’s squad, alongside fellow ex-Green Darcy Graham, for a 24-19 victory versus a First Nations and Pasifika XV in Melbourne.
Smith, 53, is he’s glad to have Sutherland available as a front-row option for another two seasons after the current one, saying: “We’re pleased to be able to secure Rory’s services for the foreseeable future as we continue to build strength in depth across every position.
“He has fully bought into what we are building here ever since arriving at Scotstoun, bringing good energy and commitment to the jersey.
“He is also a strong role model for our young talents to learn from as they continue their own development, is a well-liked member of our squad and we look forward to continuing to work with him.”
Warriors’ December fixture list includes two derbies against Sutherland’s old club Edinburgh – at home at Glasgow’s Hampden Park on Saturday the 20th and away at the capital’s Murrayfield Stadium seven days later, both 3pm kick-offs.
He was with the capital city side from 2014 to 2021 and his other former clubs include Hawick, Gala and Biggar before going professional, then Worcester Warriors and Ulster after leaving Edinburgh and prior to moving to the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes in 2023 for one season.
Sutherland is one of two former Maroons in Smith’s squad, the other being winger Kerr Johnston, given his first start for last month’s 23-0 defeat away to Llanelli’s Scarlets in Wales.