Scotland captain Tuipulotu decides his playing future

CONTRACT EXTENSION: Glasgow Warriors and Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu has signed a deal that will keep him at Scotstoun stadium until 2028.

His superlative form has seen him develop into an integral part of the setup for both club and country, having been part of Glasgow’s historic URC title-winning campaign in 2023/24.

His performances have continued to be of the highest calibre in the 2024/5 URC season, captaining the Warriors on three occasions and winning a brace of player-of-the-match awards in victories away to Cardiff and the Stormers where he crossed the whitewash in both fixtures.

Tuipulotu arrived at Scotstoun from Japanese outfit Jubilo in 2021 and made his Glasgow debut in the opening match of the 2021/22 season, serving notice of what was to follow with a typically powerful linebreak and try-assist for George Horne away against Ulster.

It was the first 60 appearances to date for the centre who’s comfortable in the No.12 and No.13 jersey – a fact demonstrated by his natural partnerships with both Huw Jones and Stafford McDowall in the Glasgow midfield since the arrival of coach Franco Smith.

A standout performer in Glasgow’s play-off run in 2023/24, it was Tuipulotu’s linebreak that set-up Sebastian Cancelliere’s crucial score in the quarterfinal triumph over the Stormers at Scotstoun, before winning the player-of-the-match in the semifinals victory away to Munster at Thomond Park.

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Initially capped for Scotland in a 60-14 win over Tonga at Murrayfield back in October 2021, the centre has gone from strength to strength in the dark-blue jersey.

A superb campaign alongside Huw Jones in the 2023 Six Nations saw the pair named in the official team of the tournament, before Tuipulotu was one of 15 Glasgow Warriors to represent Scotland at the 2023 World Cup in France.

His performances and leadership saw him named as captain ahead of the 2024 Nations Series – leading his side at home for the first time in last weekend’s 57-17 victory over Fiji at Murrayfield.

“My biggest emotion is that I’m relieved to be staying, to be honest!” a smiling Tuipulotu said.

“Whenever I get into contract negotiations, there’s so much noise around, so I’m delighted to be able to put pen to paper.

“I’m really happy in Glasgow and in Scotland, and there are things that I want to achieve – and need to achieve – in the next three years here that I can’t wait to get stuck into.

“I just want to keep driving forward with this group. It’s a really settled group with a lot of cohesion, and I thought that’s shone through in the last couple of seasons. We’re all hungry for more, and I’m keen to do my part in bringing more silverware back to Scotstoun.

“I want to say a huge thank you, not only to the coaches and my teammates, but also to the Warrior Nation – they’ve always believed in me ever since I arrived at Scotstoun, and I promise that I’ll keep giving my all for this club and for Scotland.”

Head Coach Smith also welcomed the announcement, adding: “Sione is someone who has played an integral role in the journey that this club continues to be on, and someone whose passion for this club and this city shines through every time he takes to the field.

“He has grown into an important leader for us and for Scotland, and routinely drives standards across all elements of our squad.

“He is someone who is fully bought into what we are building at Scotstoun, and we look forward to continuing to work together over the coming seasons.”