Glasgow Warriors confirm 2023/24 academy intake

• 27 Jun 2023

Glasgow Warriors will welcome 15 of the country’s brightest talents into the club’s academy this season, following today’s confirmation of the 2023/24 intake by Scottish Rugby.

Now fully integrated with the professional setup at Scotstoun, recent graduates from the academy have gone on to make a significant impact in Glasgow colours, including Scotland internationals Ross Thompson, Ollie Smith and Murphy Walker.

Five players continue for a second season in the club’s academy, including front-row duo and Scotland U20 capped-props Tom Banatvala and Callum Norrie.

Second-rower Harris McLeod also continues for a second season with the academy cohort, the man from Kirkcaldy featuring for Scotland U20 in the U20 Six Nations earlier this year.

Logan Jarvie and Ben Salmon complete the returning quintent, the pair having been standouts in the recent FOSROC Super Series Sprint for both Glasgow Warriors A and Stirling Wolves.

Another young talent to have featured for Glasgow Warriors A in the 2023 FOSROC Super Series Sprint is included amongst the 2023/24 intake, with GHA winger Amena Caqusau included in the setup for the first time.

Caqusau’s club-mate from the Braidholm outfit, Johnny Ventisei is also included amongst the new recruits, the centre having most recently represented Scotland U18 in the 2023 U18 Six Nations Festival.

Jonny Morris makes it a hat-trick of prospects from GHA included amongst the group of 15, the hard-carrying back-rower one of the standouts from Scotland’s U20 Six Nations campaign in 2023.

A brace of young flyers join the academy for the first time, with Biggar’s Fergus Watson joining Kerr Johnston – who has represented Boroughmuir Bears in the FOSROC Super Series Sprint – in the new cohort.

West of Scotland fly-half Matthew Urwin and Glasgow Hawks centre Kerr Yule – a revelation in the midfield for Ayrshire Bulls in recent weeks – complete the new additions to the backs in the academy, both players hoping to follow the well-worn path to professionalism at Scotstoun.

Two further Glasgow Hawks are amongst the new recruits in the pack, as Ruaraidh Hart – who can play both in the second-row and the back-row – and Ryan Burke are added to the engine room.

Callum Smyth completes the new intake, the loose-head prop linking up with the academy after impressing for Selkirk in a season that also saw him named as one of the three recipients of the 2023 Macphail Scholarship, one of Scottish Rugby’s most prestigious awards.

Scottish Rugby’s Head of Player Transition Kenny Murray said: “It’s a really exciting time of the year for these young players, and in particular for those of them that will experience regular involvement in a professional environment for the first time.

“The fact that once again a number of the players from last year’s group have gone on to sign professional contracts here in Scotland shows there is a reward for continued hard work.

“We’re really looking forward to seeing these players in the FOSROC Super Series Championship later this summer, and with so many of them eligible for Scotland U20 they have another platform to kick on and test themselves at a high level.”

Glasgow Warriors 2023/24 academy (club/school of origin listed in brackets)

Props
Tom Banatvala (Watsonians)
Callum Norrie (Howe of Fife RFC/Strathallan)
Callum Smyth (Selkirk RFC/Bedford School)

Second-rowers
Ryan Burke (Glasgow Hawks/Douglas Academy)
Harris McLeod (Kirkcaldy RFC)

Back-rowers
Ruaraidh Hart (Glasgow Hawks/Glasgow Academy)
Jonny Morris (GHA/Strathallan)

Fly-half
Matthew Urwin (West of Scotland RFC/St Aloysius)

Centres
Ben Salmon (Hillfoots RFC/Dollar Academy)
Johnny Ventisei (GHA/St Aloysius)
Kerr Yule (Glasgow Hawks/Boclair Academy)

Back-three
Amena Caqusau (GHA/Queen Victoria School)
Logan Jarvie (Cumbernauld RFC/Lenzie Academy)
Kerr Johnston (Gala RFC)
Fergus Watson (Biggar RFC/Biggar High School)