THE Glasgow squad for the Rainbow Cup will be significantly depleted as a result of injuries to three key players.
Huw Jones is expected to miss all of the competition, which begins for the Warriors with a visit to Benetton a week tomorrow, while Adam Hastings and Scott Cummings will be out of action for several weeks.
Jones, who is leaving Scotstoun at the end of the season, therefore appears to have played his last game for the team. The centre-cum-full-back has had surgery on a foot injury he sustained in the Challenge Cup match against Montpellier.
Lock forward Cummings has also had surgery, in his case on a hand which he injured while playing against Ireland in the Six Nations. And stand-off Hastings has a facial fracture from that Montpellier match.
However, the Warriors squad will be boosted for the new tournament by the early arrival from Edinburgh of Rory Darge. The 21-year-old back-row forward had agreed to move from the capital in time for the start of next season along with Edinburgh team-mates Ally Miller and Simon Berghan, but will now be available to play for Glasgow in next month’s derby double-header as well as in the Benetton match and subsequent Rainbow Cup encounters.
Meanwhile, Edinburgh second-row Fraser McKenzie has announced his retirement from the game with immediate effect on medical advice. A former captain of the team, the 33-year-old has been out of action for 14 months due to a succession of shoulder injuries.
McKenzie initially joined the club’s academy program as an 18-year-old back in 2006, and retires having made 119 appearances for Edinburgh over two spells with the team. He also played in the English Premiership for three seasons from 2011, first for Sale then for Newcastle.
“Obviously there is never a right time to retire or give up the game you love, but unfortunately your body tells you when it’s time to stop and for me that’s now,” McKenzie said in a statement released by Edinburgh. “It’s been an accumulation of injuries and my body has definitely been struggling with the rigours of professional rugby.”
Head coach Richard Cockerill declared that McKenzie was “a club legend”, and added: “He’s been a hugely important player during both his spells at Edinburgh Rugby and we’re obviously sad to see him retire – but it’s the right decision for Fraz.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here