Smith signs first professional deal

FOSROC Scottish Rugby Academy product Ollie Smith has put pen to paper on his first professional contract with Glasgow Warriors, adding to a memorable 2020/21 campaign for the young flyer.

The
20-year-old follows in the footsteps of fellow academy graduates Ross Thompson
and Rufus McLean in agreeing new contracts in recent weeks, with all three
having made their club debuts since the turn of the year.

Smith’s
rapid acceleration and mesmeric footwork have long marked him out as one of
Scottish rugby’s brightest prospects, having come through the youth ranks at
Marr.

He became
Warrior #321 when he came off the bench in the closing stages of January’s
23-22 victory over Edinburgh at Scotstoun, having impressed his Glasgow coaches
and team-mates alike with his performances in training across the campaign to
date.

Having
previously represented hometown club Ayr in the Tennents Premiership, Smith was
one of the standout performers for Ayrshire Bulls in the inaugural FOSROC
Super6 season in 2019/20.

The young
talent crossed for two tries in his seven appearances for the Bulls, impressing
observers with his broken field running, power and rugby intelligence.

On the
international stage, too, the full-back – equally adept on the wing – has
excelled during his career to date, with an impressive brace of tries against
New Zealand in the 2019 World Rugby U20 Championship in Argentina.

Smith was
then an ever-present for Scotland in their 2020 U20 Six Nations campaign,
crossing the whitewash in the 52-17 dismantling of Wales in Colwyn Bay last
March.

On signing
his first professional deal with the club Ollie Smith said: “It’s a dream come
true for me to sign for a club I’ve supported since I was young. I grew up
watching Glasgow play at Firhill and I was there in Belfast the day they won
the PRO12 final.

“I’ve been
training and involved with this group for a few seasons and it’s nice to see
that my hard work has paid off.

“I’m
extremely grateful that my job is to now play rugby full-time – I’ve played
this sport since I was seven years-old and for it to be now my sole focus is
amazing.

“I’m looking
forward to continuing to advance my game at Glasgow, challenging for a place in
the 23 and I plan to take my opportunities when they come.”

Head Coach
Danny Wilson added: “It’s great to be able to retain another promising Scottish
back three.

“Ollie is
another young player with a lot of talent and promise. He had a number of
strong outings during last year’s U20s Six Nations and has impressed in our
environment this season.

“He has
developed well this season and we look forward to seeing him continue to take
his chances in the coming weeks.”