Supporter Update | Al Kellock

Dear Warrior Nation,

I hope this message finds you well at the start of the biggest week of our 2021/22 season yet – a United Rugby Championship quarter-final against Leinster.

There is currently no bigger test in professional club rugby than taking on the top seed in the league on their own patch at the RDS Arena this Saturday afternoon (4 June), at 3.15pm.

It will take everything we’ve got to overcome the URC’s form team on Saturday, and I can assure you there will be no shortage of hard work and determination this week as we prepare for this decisive match and look to move on from the disappointments of our recent form on the road.

Though it is an away game, there is no doubt your support, and the weight of the entire Warrior Nation, will go a long way in motivating the club to put on a performance worthy of the Glasgow Warriors jersey. It is another weekend with a great deal at stake – a win would not only see us progress in the URC, but give us a home match in front of our supporters for the first time since the beginning of April.

Open Training Session

Before then, we are delighted to invite you to an Open Training Session at Scotstoun Stadium on Thursday (2 June, at 12.30pm), brought to you by SP Energy Networks. There you will get the chance to watch our players prepare for the game and meet them face-to-face for a Q&A and signing session. You can sign up here.

We hope that Thursday will be an extra special event because the biggest challenge of COVID has been the lack of interaction we have had with our fans, schools, clubs, and partners. Simple things like the players signing autographs and taking selfies after a game, right through to sponsorship activations that bring to life our brilliant partnerships have been missed and we can’t wait for this first opportunity to host you for training since the pandemic.

Looking ahead

We are already well into our planning for next season. In the coming days we will be able to confirm our two pre-season fixtures for you. We will be facing two challenging opponents in September ahead of the new season getting underway.

In addition, our league and European fixtures dates and times will be confirmed later in the summer. In the meantime, we will continue to work with competition organisers to avoid kick-off times clashing with club fixtures across our regions.

Season Ticket renewals will open tomorrow for current members, with pre-sale for 2022/23 Warrior Nation Members opening Thursday 14 July and subject to availability, general sale will open Friday 15 July. Click here for full details on 2022/23 Season Tickets.

You will have seen an increase in our season ticket pricing for the new season and I want to take this opportunity to give you some context as these changes have not been made lightly, particularly as the cost of living is a reality for everyone.

Overall, we have increased costs across all our categories, and for Members in our permanent Main and North stands the inclusion of a pre-season fixture at Scotstoun – taking the total number of matches to 12 (1 pre-season, 9 URC, and 2 European) in comparison to 11 in 2021/22 – shows a higher increase for members in those stands. Due to our East and West stands not being in situ for the pre-season game it hasn’t been possible to include the fixture for Season Ticket Members in those stands.

We have also taken the decision to define our season ticket categories by age, to allow us to offer a more affordable product to our younger supporters for longer, which sees a move from student and under 18 tickets to new Young Adult and Junior categories.

In reality, the costs for running the club continue to rise with further travel to away fixtures, increased day-to-day running costs for match days and utilities, as well as costs for bringing in and retaining our best talent with a significant investment in our squad for the new season, all of which has been factored into our decision making. With that being said, we do not underestimate the ask on you and as always, the whole club are incredibly grateful for your support.

Taking a step back

In the past few months, we’ve been fortunate enough to begin to return to normality and as a club we’re thoroughly enjoying the opportunities to re-engage with and inspire our community.

It has been brilliant hosting our SP Energy Networks Warriors Championship, where more than 800 pupils from 20 schools have come together to compete for the title. Our very best wishes go to the two finalists Dumfries Schools and Wallace High School, from Stirling, as they compete for the trophy on Friday 10 June at our home at Scotstoun.

Also, in the past few months, having our Easter Camps running once again and hosting more than 150 children for our KubeNet Mini Festivals has been a delight.

Last week, we had another first since the pandemic, hosting in person our annual Awards Dinner, sponsored by The Malcolm Group, at Hilton Glasgow.

The night was ultimately about taking a step back and celebrating some of the highlights of the season so far and the people who have helped deliver them. Congratulations to all the evening’s winners, with special mention to Rory Darge who became our first player to ever take home three awards from this event – the Harper Macleod Test Player of the Season, the Denholm Energy Services Players’ Player of the Season, and the McCrea Financial Services Player of the Season.

I must also mention our most capped player, Rob Harley, who collected The Famous Grouse Coaches Award, but to whom we also bid farewell as he departs Glasgow Warriors at the end of the season after 266 appearances, to date, over 12 years. Rob is a man who has given more to Glasgow Warriors than most and reached milestones that are unlikely to ever be bettered. He has been a true Warrior on and off the park. Rob thank you once again for all you have done for this club.

Thank you

The 2021/22 season has not been short of its challenges, particularly as the spread of COVID-19 had such a major impact on fixtures during the winter, but I must thank all our staff, coaches and players who have reacted to every unexpected challenge resiliently.

My thanks must also go to our full family of partners and sponsors, led by SP Energy Networks, their support over the course of the past season has been greatly appreciated once again.

Finally, to you, the Warrior Nation, your unrelenting and passionate support we are extremely grateful for, and we would not be here without you.

On that note, let’s get behind our team and give them every ounce of our support this weekend in Dublin.

Yours sincerely,

Alastair Kellock
Managing Director