Arriving in the UK originally to study Local History at Oxford University, prop Kevin Tkachuk may wish he’d decided on Geography as his degree subject, given the travelling he’s got coming his way as a member of Warriors and Canada, over the next few months. Bath and Toulouse are on the agenda with Glasgow while it’s Lisbon, Limerick, Cardiff and Aberdeen in the space of four weeks with his national side.

Given that ‘T-bone’ hails from what could politely be referred to as a rugby backwater – Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada – his route to Firhill hasn’t exactly mirrored that of his team-mates. Back home, rugby was something done in the off-season from American football and ice hockey, to stay fit. But after picking up the ball and loving it on Canada’s west coast, Kevin crossed the Atlantic for three year’s study (and play) among the dreaming spires.

“I was studying an MCS in Local History at Oxford, whilst playing National One rugby as well as the University side,” he relates, “and decided that I wanted to play full time professional rugby, so my agent put me in touch with Glasgow, where Hugh Campbell was coach at the time.
 
“I then came up to see the facilities and met the coaches and staff. It was a beautiful sunny day at the end of the season, the boys put in a bonus point victory over the Ospreys – and I fell in love straight away!”

Get your copy of the official match programme at the game this Friday night to read the rest of this exclusive interview.