London Scottish have announced that two former players are rejoining the club from National One side Blackheath ahead of the 2017-18 season. Flankers Chris Walker and Gregor Gillanders both played together in the Exiles’ 2014-15 campaign, which saw the club reach the semi-finals of the Greene King IPA Championship for the first time in it’s history.
29 year old Gillanders, has previously played for Championship rivals Bedford and Leicester Tigers, while 31 year old Kiwi Walker, a New Zealand under 21 international, has represented Doncaster Knights and helped New Zealand provincial side Taranaki lift the Ranfurly Shield back in 2011. Both players re-join on part time deals, balancing training with careers in engineering and property development respectively.
Speaking to the club’s official website, the pair expressed their delight in making their return to the Athletic Ground.
“I’m really happy to be coming back to Scottish. I made some great friends with both players and supporters here, and it will be a challenging year but I’m looking forward to the opportunity.” said Walker.
“I’m very excited to be coming back to Scottish. I have great memories from my time here a couple of years ago, and with my Scottish roots, I’ll be pushing as hard as I can to get the best results on and off the pitch for the club.” added Gillanders.
“It’s a great time to be coming back, while there have been some changes, the direction of the club is highly positive and there has been some great signings for the new structure, on both the playing and coaching sides. I’m looking forward to working with guys again who I’ve played with and against over the last few years, while also getting to know the other members of the squad.”