Club Update | Headdresses

Managing Director Al Kellock provides an update regarding the club's position on Native American headdresses and chanting ahead of this weekend's match against Exeter Chiefs at Scotstoun.

Dear Warrior Nation,

Since it was announced in September that we’d play Exeter Chiefs in this season’s Heineken Champions Cup, we have taken time to consider our position on travelling Exeter Chiefs supporters’ use of Native American dress and chants at our game at Scotstoun Stadium.

Following the pool stage draw, we set up a working group to understand and educate ourselves on this sensitive issue and gather the views of our supporters, representatives from the Native American community, the competition organisers, and Exeter Chiefs themselves. During this period, several supporters asked that we ban headdresses and the ‘Tomahawk Chop’, and in October the Scottish Rugby Blog wrote an open letter reiterating these calls.

Today, Glasgow Warriors are asking visiting fans from Exeter Chiefs not to attend the game on Saturday (18 December, kick-off 5.30pm) with faux Native American headdresses or chant the ‘Tomahawk Chop’ during the match. We are making this request out of respect for the Native American community around the world, whose views on the use of their imagery and cultural heritage we support, and the Glasgow Warriors supporters who have called for us to act on this matter.

Glasgow Warriors is a welcoming club, that celebrates inclusivity and diversity and by making this call for action we want to live up to these values and stand up for the views of our supporters.

It is also important to acknowledge the branding journey that Exeter Chiefs themselves are on following their recent AGM, and for us to be considerate of that.

The club has informed Exeter Chiefs and European Professional Club Rugby of our request and has the full support of Scottish Rugby on taking this position.

In the meantime, we’re looking forward to Saturday’s game where we will have a packed stadium and will be accepting donations for the Glasgow NW Foodbank. We are hoping the collective effort of the Warrior Nation will go a long way in supporting people in Glasgow and our local community this winter. You can find more about what gifts will be accepted and where to bring them to on the night at our website.

After Exeter, we can’t wait to return to Scotstoun and the United Rugby Championship for the first of our 1872 Cup derby matches with Edinburgh on Monday 27 December (kick-off 7pm), a match that is always one of the highlights of the calendar.

Glasgow Warriors looks forward to seeing you at Scotstoun this December.

Yours faithfully

Al Kellock