Fergusson back in 15s fold

Four years after making his first appearance for the club, Robbie Fergusson says he is enjoying a return to the Glasgow Warriors style as the second block of pre-season gets underway.

The
25-year-old was one of seven debutants named in the Glasgow Warriors team to
face the Scarlets at Scotstoun in September 2015, as then-head coach Gregor
Townsend kicked off a new league campaign shorn of 21 internationals due to
Rugby World Cup commitments.

Fast forward
to 2019, and Fergusson – now part of the Scotland 7s set-up – is enjoying being
part of Dave Rennie’s pre-season preparations.

“There’s
obviously been a lot of change since I was last here,” said Fergusson.

“There’s a
whole new coaching set-up for starters – the only one still here is Kenny
[Murray]. Dave brings a different dynamic to things and it’s pretty exciting to
play fast, free-flowing rugby.

“That’s what
you want as a back, so it’s been a lot of fun so far. It’s different, but still
a very similar brand of rugby and one that I really enjoy.”

After
joining London Scottish in November 2015, the former Ayr centre has since
become an integral part of the Scotland 7s set-up. Appearances at the 2018 World
Rugby Sevens World Cup and Commonwealth Games marked an impressive debut
season, before being named as the squad’s co-captain ahead of the 2018/19 campaign.

“It’s been a
busy few years!” laughed Fergusson.

“Going down
to London Scottish really helped to develop me as a player. The
opportunity to get involved with the 7s then came around, and then the
opportunity to come back in here came at the right time.

“I still
love travelling the world with the 7s squad and – looking a bit further down
the line – I’m really looking forward to that kicking off again.”

Fergusson’s
immediate focus, however, remains with the Warriors, as Rennie’s squad
continues to build towards the pre-season double-header with Ulster in just
over a fortnight’s time. It’s been an enjoyable pre-season for the centre so
far, as he gets back into the swing of 15-a-side rugby.

“We’ve been
putting a lot of emphasis on skill work, which has been great,” explained
Fergusson.

“A lot of
pre-seasons can be quite heavy on the running and fitness side of things, but
the boys have all come back in pretty good shape.

“That allows
us to really hammer home the skills stuff, so it’s been very focused on our
game-plan. That’s what we need, especially as 7s players, to allow us to
familiarise ourselves with the structures and so on, so it’s been great.

“We’re only
two and a half weeks away from our first game now too, so the contact work is
ramping up a bit. Everyone’s hoping to get a bit of a hit-out against Ulster.”

Click here to secure your tickets for the visit of Ulster on Saturday 14 September