Tuipulotu staying at Scotstoun

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 27: Warriors' Matt Fagerson celebrates with Kyle Steyn and Sione Tuipulotu as he scores the second try of the night during a BKT United Rugby Championship match between Glasgow Warriors and Benetton at Scotstoun Stadium, on September 27, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

The Scotland captain’s superlative form has seen him develop into an integral part of the setup for both club and country, having been at the heart of Glasgow’s historic BKT United Rugby Championship title-winning campaign in 2023/24.

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His performances have continued to be of the highest calibre in the opening rounds of the 2024/25 season, captaining the Warriors on three occasions and winning a brace of Player of the Match awards in victories away to Cardiff and the DHL Stormers – in addition to scoring in both fixtures.

Having originally arrived at Scotstoun from Japanese outfit Yamaha Jubilo in the summer of 2021, Tuipulotu made his Glasgow Warriors debut in the opening match of the 2021/22 season, serving notice of what was to follow with a typically-powerful line break and try assist for George Horne away to Ulster.

It was the first of 60 appearances to date for the centre, comfortable in either the 12 or 13 jersey – a fact demonstrated by his natural partnerships with both Huw Jones and Stafford McDowall in the Glasgow midfield since the arrival of Franco Smith.

A standout performer in Glasgow’s playoff run in 2023/24, it was Tuipulotu’s line-break that set up Sebastian Cancelliere’s crucial score in the quarter-final triumph over the DHL Stormers at Scotstoun, before winning the BKT Player of the Match award in the semi-final victory away to Munster at Thomond Park.

Initially capped for Scotland in a 60-14 win over Tonga at Scottish Gas Murrayfield in October 2021, the centre has gone from strength to strength in the dark blue jersey; a superb campaign alongside Jones in the 2023 Guinness Six Nations saw the pair named in the official Team of the Tournament, before Tuipulotu was one of 15 Glasgow Warriors to represent Scotland at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

His performances and leadership saw him named as captain ahead of the 2024 The Famous Grouse Nations Series, leading his side at home for the first time in last weekend’s 57-17 victory over Fiji at Scottish Gas Murrayfield.

“My biggest emotion is that I’m relieved to be staying, to be honest!” a smiling Tuipulotu told glasgowwarriors.org.

“Whenever I get into contract negotiations, there’s so much noise around, so I’m delighted to be able to put pen to paper. I’m really happy in Glasgow and in Scotland, and there are things that I want to achieve – and need to achieve – in the next three years here that I can’t wait to get stuck into.

“I just want to keep driving forward with this group. It’s a really settled group with a lot of cohesion, and I thought that’s shone through in the last couple of seasons. We’re all hungry for more, and I’m keen to do my part in bringing more silverware back to Scotstoun.

“I want to say a huge thank you, not only to the coaches and my team-mates, but also to the Warrior Nation – they’ve always believed in me ever since I arrived at Scotstoun, and I promise that I’ll keep giving my all for this club and for Scotland.”

Head Coach Smith also welcomed the announcement, adding: “Sione is someone who has played an integral role in the journey that this club continues to be on, and someone whose passion for this club and this city shines through every time he takes to the field.

“He has grown into an important leader for us and for Scotland, and routinely drives standards across all elements of our squad.

“He is someone who is fully bought into what we are building at Scotstoun, and we look forward to continuing to work together over the coming seasons.”