Scottish Rugby has officially announced the list of 30 male players who will be part of the FOSROC Scottish Rugby Academy for the 2023/24 season.
Academy players under contract are assigned to either Edinburgh Rugby or Glasgow Warriors and get to train alongside the senior players of the professional club while participating in the FOSROC Super Series to maintain competitive game time.
Being placed in professional teams can greatly benefit young players in their development, providing them with early exposure to the professional club environment and opportunities to work with experienced coaches and support staff. Eight players from the 2022/23 group graduated from the academy to sign their first professional rugby contracts with either Edinburgh Rugby or Glasgow Warriors.
Jacob Henry, Jamie Campbell, Patrick Harrison, Cameron Scott, Nathan Sweeney, Harry Paterson and Mikey Jones signed with Edinburgh Rugby, and Euan Ferrie with Glasgow Warriors. This year’s 30 academy players will all be eligible for the FOSROC Futures XV squad in the FOSROC Super Series.
Edinburgh Rugby welcome 11 new players to the club this summer, who will join the system alongside four current Academy players: Robbie Deans (loosehead prop), Harri Morris (hooker), Liam McConnell (back-row) and Finn Douglas (winger).
Glasgow Warriors will introduce 10 new players to their club at the start of the new season, who join the retained Tom Banatavala (loosehead prop), Callum Norrie (tighthead prop), Harris McLeod (lock), Ben Salmon (centre) and Logan Jarvie (winger).
“The fact that once again a number of the players from last year’s group have gone on to sign professional contracts here in Scotland shows there is a reward for continued hard work. We’re really looking forward to seeing these 30 players in the FOSROC Super Series Championship later this summer, and with so many of them eligible for Scotland U20 they have another platform to kick on and test themselves at a high level.”
Kenny Murray, Scottish Rugby’s Head of Player Transition
FOSROC Scottish Rugby Contracted Academy Players for 2023/2024 season
Edinburgh Rugby
Robbie Deans (Watsonians)**
Harri Morris (Southern Knights)**
Jerry Blyth-Lafferty (Boroughmuir Bears)*
Ollie Blyth-Lafferty (Boroughmuir RFC)*
Euan McVie (Heriot’s Rugby)*
Tom Currie (Merchiston Castle School)*
Liam McConnell (Boroughmuir Bears)**
Freddie Douglas (Stewart’s Melville College)*
Ollie Duncan (Edinburgh Academicals)*
Finlay Burgess (Stirling Wolves)*
Hector Patterson (Hawick RFC)*
Isaac Coates (Merchiston Castle School)*
Jack Hocking (Ipswich Grammar)*
Finn Douglas (Southern Knights)**
Jack Brown (Watsonians)*
Glasgow Warriors
Tom Banatvala (Watsonians)**
Callum Norrie (Stirling Wolves)**
Callum Smyth (Selkirk RFC)*
Ryan Burke (Glasgow Hawks)*
Harris McLeod (Stirling Wolves)**
Ruaraidh Hart (Stirling Wolves)*
Jonny Morris (Watsonians)*
Matthew Urwin (West of Scotland RFC)*
Ben Salmon (Stirling Wolves)**
Johnny Ventisei (GHA RFC)*
Kerr Yule (Ayrshire Bulls)*
Amena Caqusau (GHA RFC)*
Logan Jarvie (Stirling Wolves)**
Kerr Johnston (Boroughmuir Bears)*
Fergus Watson (Biggar RFC)*
** Retained FOSROC Scottish Rugby Contracted Academy Player from 2022/2023
*New FOSROC Scottish Rugby Contracted Academy Player
8 responses
With the old Warriors logo and Lee Jones and Alex Allan playing, that photo is not Matt Fagerson playing last season!
Against the Cheetahs as well by the look of it
The photo was “last season” when the caption was written I think!
Hogg just announced immediate retirement
Says his body can’t reach the level it needs to be for World Cup
The try Scotland A v England 2012
The kick to touch v England 2021
The try v Ireland 2016
The assist for Visser try(s) v Wales 2016 France 2016
The try v Italy 2013
The try v Georgia 2016
The joyous dance / jump after DVDM try v France 2021
I remember his first try against France in 2012 and at the time it felt other-worldly: Scots just didn’t finish tries with that confidence and panache.
Lovely list from John Martin above, to which I’d add:
Absolutely blitzing the Munster defence for the third try in the Pro 12 final
The 2 tries the last time we beat Ireland – second especially was gorgeous
Captaining Scotland to our first wins in decades in Wales, France and England.
That beer with Russell after the European Cup Final got a lot of “rugby values” bull talked about it, but it has stayed with me – couple of gallus lads from Scotland at the peak of their game, taking a moment to see how far they’ve come.
I so wanted him to be the Scottish Brian O’Driscoll – the talent that took his country to real tangible success. Instead, I suppose he’s the Scottish Keith Wood – undeniably world class, took his nation from the absolute doldrums to genuine respectability, but couldn’t quite get them to the golden period. For Ireland, that came later. We’ll see about Scotland. But if it does happen for us, Hogg should take a bow. He’s been instrumental in mapping the kind of rugby nation we want to be, the way we think about ourselves, even the style we play. An absolute, bona fide legend.
Ardent, I like Hastings at 15