Smith ready to kick start new campaign

Smith ready to kick start new campaign

  • 23 Sep 2025
  • Men

The roar of Scotstoun has been missing from Ollie Smith’s weekends for far too long.

Injuries and stuttered campaigns meant the Glasgow back hasn’t always been centre stage when the Warrior Nation pack out their home fortress. Yet as the 2025/26 campaign begins, Smith is back, fit, and brimming with the kind of anticipation that only comes when rugby returns north of the Clyde.

“Really excited,” he says with a grin that needs no translation when asked when how he feels to be back for a new season.

“We’re really fortunate to get a home game as our first game of the season this year, so can’t wait to get back out at Scotstoun and have the home crowd behind us and start winning ways.”

The Hollywoodbets Sharks provide the opposition this weekend, and few fixtures carry the same electricity as when South African muscle meets Scottish guile.

For Smith, it’s more than just the beginning of another campaign – it’s a chance to reset personally and collectively.

“Last year was frustrating,” he admits.

“I was still coming back from not getting a full season with my knee injury and I missed quite a lot of games. I’m just stoked to have a full pre-season under my belt, get stuck in right from the start, and hopefully just play as many games as possible.”

Having seen their title defence ended in Dublin after a roller-coaster 2024/25 campaign, the Warriors have come into the new campaign with renewed focus after a rigourous pre-season. With the new season set to kick off this Friday, Smith believes they can rediscover the hunger that once made them surprise conquerors.

“In sport, it’s almost easier to be an underdog,” he reflects.

“The year we won the league, no one really gave us a look in. We were definitely the underdog going into all our games, being away from home and stuff like that.

“It’ll be good for us this year to have the same kind of mindset. It takes the target off your back, and I think it’s good if we just play our own game.”

Home advantage will also likely be vital once more. Last season, Glasgow’s opening stretch was defined by away fixtures, testing their depth and morale early on.

Now, with Scotstoun set to swell with noise, Smith feels the Warriors have the platform to make a sharper statement.

“I think it’ll be massive,” he explains.

“There’s always teething problems at the start of the season – some guys coming back who haven’t played a game yet, so things won’t always go right.

“We’ve had a good pre-season, the team’s looking sharp, and we’re buzzing to get going, especially at home.”

The continuity within the coaching set-up also brings confidence. Head Coach Franco Smith, fresh from committing his future to the club, has fostered not just a winning culture but one grounded in stability.

For a young back like Ollie Smith, that foundation is priceless.

“Franco’s instilled such a good mindset and system, along with all the coaches,” he says. “

It’s good that we can build on it and have some continuity over the next few years. We didn’t finish where we wanted last season, but we can go one better this year and hopefully get the title back.”

There’s no sense of complacency in his words. If anything, there’s a renewed edge – the kind sharpened by setbacks and the long road back from injury.

Yet there’s a wider purpose too. Glasgow fans will remember the swagger with which their side once cut through opposition, defying expectation to lift silverware. As they prepare to face the Sharks, the winger is eager to rekindle that identity.

“It’s about us,” he insists.

“If we play our own game, if we back what we’ve worked on, then we’ll be in a good place.

“We’ve got the players, we’ve got the mindset, and we’ve got the support at Scotstoun. That’s what excites me the most.”

When the whistle blows this weekend, the crowd will return, the noise will swell, and Glasgow’s season will officially begin.

As Smith and company prepare to run out onto the Scotstoun field once more, t’s the perfect moment to step forward – a squad fit, focused, and ready to lead a Warriors side determined to turn promise into glory once again.

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