{"id":487135,"date":"2026-03-21T05:52:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T05:52:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/487135\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T05:52:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T05:52:12","slug":"urc-leaders-glasgow-dealt-major-setback-with-damaging-injury-list-from-six-nations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/487135\/","title":{"rendered":"URC leaders Glasgow dealt major setback with damaging injury list from Six Nations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Scotland<\/a> wing Kyle Steyn<\/a> is likely to miss at least Glasgow\u2019s next few games, including their European Champions Cup last-16 tie against the Bulls<\/a> after returning from international duty with a stress fracture of his foot.<\/p>\n

The Warriors captain started Scotland\u2019s final Six Nations<\/a> game against Ireland<\/a> in Dublin last Saturday despite suffering a deep cut to his leg trying to prevent Antoine Dupont<\/a> scoring a try for France<\/a> the previous week.<\/p>\n

But Steyn, who scored three tries and beat more defenders (a Championship joint-record 26) than anyone during a fine personal campaign, picked up a foot issue against Ireland that could keep him sidelined for the next month.<\/p>\n

After home URC games against Leinster<\/a> on Saturday and Benetton<\/a> next Saturday, Glasgow<\/a> host the Bulls in the Champions Cup on April 4, with a potential home quarter-final the following week if they prevail against the South African province.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s got a little stress fracture,\u201d revealed Warriors head coach Franco Smith. \u201cThat will keep him in a boot for three weeks and then we will try and bring him back. We can\u2019t put a specific time frame on it. It\u2019s always difficult with those things. Unfortunately, he\u2019ll be missing some of the games now.<\/p>\n

Fixture<\/p>\n

United Rugby Championship<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Glasgow <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Leinster <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was an open wound going into that (Ireland) game after he fell on Dupont\u2019s leg the week before and got cut. But this one is maybe a little bit of something that happened in the week leading up to it or obviously in the Ireland game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Steyn is one of four players short-listed for the Six Nations Player of the Championship award after establishing himself as a first-choice pick for Scotland despite competition from the likes of Darcy Graham<\/a> and Duhan van der Merwe.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m super proud of him and the way he\u2019s gone about his business,\u201d Smith said. \u201cHe dealt well with the disappointment of not being selected for the Lions<\/a> tour last year. I think he had his hopes up for that.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince then, he\u2019s made the international arena his own. He knew the hard work we put in here and the way we coach and develop players is going to assist him in doing that. I\u2019m really proud of him and his diligence and hard work and belief, but also the mental toughness he\u2019s shown that makes him the leader that we want.\u201d<\/p>\n

As well as Steyn, Smith will also have to do without two more frontline Scotland players as he approaches the business end of the season with Glasgow top of the URC and with home advantage heading into the European knockout stages.<\/p>\n

Versatile wing\/scrum-half Jamie Dobie<\/a> was already unlikely to play again this season after undergoing shoulder surgery following Scotland\u2019s Calcutta Cup victory over England.<\/p>\n

Lock\/flanker Gregor Brown<\/a>, meanwhile, is not expected to return from the hamstring injury he suffered in Scotland\u2019s win over France until June, which means he is only likely to feature again in the domestic campaign if Glasgow make the URC semi-finals.<\/p>\n

Fellow lock Scott Cummings<\/a>, who suffered a calf injury in the same game, is facing four-to-six weeks out and could return after the Champions Cup last-16 and quarter-final stages in time for Glasgow\u2019s two-match trip to South Africa<\/a> in the URC in mid-April.<\/p>\n

There was further disappointment for Glasgow fans this week when it was confirmed Scotland No.8 Jack Dempsey<\/a> will end his five-year spell at Scotstoun this summer and take up a four-year deal with a Japan<\/a> League One club, believed to be Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo.<\/p>\n

Smith revealed that despite starting talks over a new deal with Dempsey, who turns 32 next month, back in August, ultimately the player\u2019s decision came down to finances.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe love Jack and I\u2019m really proud of him, but when people play well, somebody else with a bigger chequebook comes along,\u201d Smith said. \u201cIt\u2019s happened my whole coaching career and I\u2019ve learned how to deal with it from a personal aspect.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re super proud that we had shares in Jack\u2019s future and obviously in his inheritance. It happens basically because he doesn\u2019t go there necessarily for the rugby side of things \u2013 that goes without saying too much.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut he\u2019s contributed a lot here, he\u2019s an excellent player for us and he\u2019s done so well for Scotland. We couldn\u2019t stand in his way with the offer that he received. It was too big for us to match and that is the primary reason.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith said Warriors fans could anticipate announcements soon on replacements for Dempsey, plus fellow Scotland internationals Huw Jones<\/a> (Toulon), Adam Hastings<\/a> (Montpellier) and Jamie Bhatti<\/a> (Bath), who are also leaving at the end of the season.<\/p>\n

At least \u201cone or two\u201d of the incomers will be foreign players, despite Scottish Rugby\u2019s policy of largely prioritising the recruitment of Scotland-qualified players.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe still have to balance the squad out for next season,\u201d Smith added. \u201cWhat I can say is that in the broader picture, we would like to maintain the quality of the programme we have. The players that we\u2019re going to bring in are going to be there to sustain that.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe, like I said from the start, coaching beats the budget. We will try and keep on working hard with the quality of the people that we have.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith has handed former Scotland Under-20s captain Johnny Ventisei<\/a> his senior debut at centre against Leinster on Saturday, with Sione Tuipulotu<\/a> and Huw Jones among eight Scotland frontliners \u2013 including Rory Darge<\/a>, Zander and Matt Fagerson<\/a>, Dempsey and Max Williamson<\/a>, plus the injured Steyn \u2013 absent after their Six Nations exertions.<\/p>\n

But 11 other players involved in Scotland\u2019s Six Nations squad return, although only three of the Warriors starting XV \u2013 scrum-half George Horne<\/a>, wing Kyle Rowe<\/a> and lock Alex Craig<\/a> \u2013 were involved against Ireland last Saturday, all off the bench.<\/p>\n

A fourth who featured in Dublin, prop Rory Sutherland<\/a>, is among the replacements, as is fly-half Adam Hastings after recovering from an injury sustained on Scotland duty.<\/p>\n

Hooker Gregor Hiddleston<\/a>, plus props Patrick Schickerling<\/a> and a fit-again Fin Richardson, make up a new front row, while Tongan flanker Sione Vailanu<\/a> starts his first game of the season, after outings off the bench in Warriors\u2019 last two games.<\/p>\n

The 31-year-old returned this time last year from 15 months on the sidelines with a serious knee injury to play seven games at the end of last season, but continued to struggle with the after-effects of his injury until January.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have slowly but surely introduced him back to rugby,\u201d Smith added. \u201cWhen we brought him back last season, there was more hope to it than he was physically able to do. He still had a lot of pain and he just couldn\u2019t get rid of that.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut this time around, he feels pain-free. So hopefully tomorrow he gets a chance to step up again. Desperate is not the right word, but he\u2019s determined to show that he\u2019s back to his old form.\u201d<\/p>\n

Glasgow XV: 15. J McKay, 14. K Rowe, 13. J Ventisei, 12. S McDowall, 11. O Smith, 10. D Lancaster, 9 G Horne; 1. P Schickerling, 2. G Hiddleston, 3. F Richardson, 4. A Craig, 5. A Samuel, 6. E Ferrie, 7. S Vailanu, 8. M Duncan.
Replacements: S Stephen, R Sutherland, S Talakai, J Oguntibeju, A Fraser, A Miller, J Oliver, A Hastings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Scotland wing Kyle Steyn is likely to miss at least Glasgow\u2019s next few games, including their European Champions…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":487136,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[5903,101,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-487135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-rugby","tag-rugby","tag-sports","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/487135","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=487135"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/487135\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/487136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=487135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=487135"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=487135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}