Murchie proud of effort despite Dublin defeat

The raw emotions may have still been running high and the playing kits still dripping dry from the Dublin downpours, but Pete Murchie’s pride at being a Glasgow Warrior shone through as he reflected on the curtain falling on his stint as the club’s Defence Coach after the full-time whistle.

The 39-year-old – who earlier this season became the first man to reach a century of matches as both a player and a coach of the club – was first keen to pay tribute to Leinster, whose victory saw Glasgow’s BKT United Rugby Championship title defence come to an end.

“Everyone’s disappointed today,” Murchie told glasgowwarriors.org.

“Ultimately Leinster were well-deserved winners – they put us under a lot of pressure and had a huge amount of possession, which in turn made it difficult for us to exit our own half. You have to credit them, they’re a top-class outfit.

“I’m proud of the lads because we never gave up, but we’re obviously gutted to come away on the wrong side of the result.”

Yet Murchie also underlined the importance of taking a wider view of the 2024/25 campaign in the immediate aftermath of the final whistle; with eight new Warriors added across the course of the season and a host of academy prospects ready to compete for game time, the future looks bright at Scotstoun.

“If you reflect on the season as a whole, this club continues to go from strength to strength,” said Murchie.

“There’s a lot of young talent coming through and a few lads who have had to step up in the last few weeks with the injuries we’ve had, and they’ve really come to the fore. I’ve no doubt that they’re players who will be a part of Glasgow Warriors for a long time to come.

Our 2024/25 season might have ended, but what a journey it’s been.

From our biggest-ever home match at Hampden, to a club record for @lionsofficial selections – you’ve been with us every step of the way, Warrior Nation 💪

Let’s do it all again next season 👊#WhateverItTakes pic.twitter.com/us4ibmoWJg

— Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) June 8, 2025

“It’s such a long season, you’ll naturally have ebbs and flows just with how the fixtures fall. The last few weeks have obviously had their own challenges, and I’m proud of the way the boys have fronted up and bounced back each time.

“You can never accuse this group of a lack of effort – the care each of these boys have for this club, and the work that goes in day in, day out on the training field, in the gym and around the club, that’s only going to stand the club in good stead moving into the future.”

It’s a future in which Murchie will continue to invest himself, albeit as a supporter from afar rather than in the thick of the coaching box.

“I’ve loved it from start to finish. It’s been a real journey, and the boys are an absolute pleasure to work with. I’ve spent a long time at the club both as a player and as a coach, so to move on is tough. It’s obviously not the fairytale ending, but I’m proud of the journey this club has been on.

“You can’t turn off that amount of care you have for a club – I’ll always keep a keen eye on how the club progresses and I’ll follow every step of the way.”

Once a Warrior. Always a Warrior.