Richie Gray is one of the rising stars of the world game, a hero of the Glasgow Warriors support and a keenly anticipated presence at the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

The imposing lock joined Glasgow Warriors in August 2008 after having played for Scotland in internationals in Italy twice in different age groups in February that year. He was in the team who won the under-19 match at Parabagio, near Milan, and he returned to Italy less than two weeks later to make his under-20 debut at Mogliano in Scotland’s final match of that age group’s 2008 Six Nations Championship.

He played in two games in the IRB Junior World Championship in Wales in June 2008 before his tournament was cut short by injury against South Africa, but he returned to the under-20 team for the opening day of the age group’s 2009 Six Nations Championship, when Scotland beat Wales by 18-17 at McDiarmid Park, Perth. His performance in that match earned him the BBC2 Wales man-of-the-match honour.

Richie stepped up the international ladder with his debut for Scotland against France off the bench at Murrayfield. This followed participation with Scotland A in the 38-7 victory against Tonga at Netherdale, Galashiels, in November. That followed his progress up the age-group ranks at every level from under-17 to under-20.

Richie had a winning start to captaining Scotland under-20 in March 2009 when the team beat Ireland 35-20 in the age group’s Six Nations Championship match at McDiarmid Park, Perth. Over the previous five weeks he had had impressive roles in Scotland’s wins against Wales and Italy.

He was also captain in the Worcester match against England on the final weekend of the championship, by the end of which he was among 11 players who had started for Scotland in all five championship games. He went on to play in all five of Scotland’s games in the IRB Junior World Championship in Japan, captaining the team again in the Tokyo match against England.

The Kelvinside Academy former pupil has played for Scotland also at under-17 and under-18 levels as well as for Glasgow at under-15, under-16, and under-18. His under-18 internationals included the Six Nations’ Festival in Glasgow in April 2007.

Honours: Scotland, Scotland A, Scotland U21, Scotland U19, Scotland U18, Scotland U17