Glasgow Warriors have secured the services of one of Scotland’s most highly-rated young talents for at least the next couple of seasons, after Alex Samuel put pen to paper on a contract extension with the club.
The second-rower has impressed during his first season as a professional, having become the 346th player to pull on a Glasgow Warriors jersey when making his professional debut in a 37-0 win over Benetton at Scotstoun last October.
A product of Madras College FP, the St Andrews-born 20-year-old graduated from the FOSROC Scottish Rugby Academy in the summer of 2022, agreeing terms on a first professional contract ahead of the 2022/23 season and making five appearances In Glasgow colours to date.
Having formerly captained Scotland U20, his set-piece prowess and powerful ball-carrying saw him invited to train with the senior Scotland squad as an apprentice during the 2021 Guinness Six Nations.
Samuel was also one of the stand-out performers during the FOSROC Super6 across 2021 and 2022, playing under the club’s Assistant Coach, Pete Horne, during the pair’s time with Ayrshire Bulls.
“I’ve really enjoyed getting stuck in to my first year as a professional,” Samuel told glasgowwarriors.org.
“Being involved in the matchday 23 on a few occasions has been a massive boost for me, and now I just want to push on and try to become a regular in that matchday squad.
“My debut is a memory I’m going to remember forever, although I also remember being more nervous than I’ve ever been for a match in my life! As soon as the game started though, it was just class. The feeling of the crowd at Scotstoun roaring us on was just something else.
“I’ve also really enjoyed learning from the senior pros here – guys like Richie [Gray], Scott [Cummings], JP [du Preez] and Beano [Lewis Bean] have really helped me a lot this year, and to have team-mates of their calibre to learn from is absolutely brilliant for me.”
Head Coach Franco Smith added: “We’ve been impressed with Alex’s attitude and willingness to learn across the season so far.
“He earned his professional debut through his hard work on the training field, fully committing himself to what we’re building here.
“He is a player who has a bright future ahead of him and we are looking forward to seeing him develop even further with us at Scotstoun.”
