Combined academies side set for Bordeaux

4 Nov 2026

This week a combined academies squad from Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors will head to Bordeaux, France, for a mini-camp and contest against Union Bordeaux Begles.

The group, led on the trip by Head Coach Henry Pyrgos, will travel to France on Thursday 5 November and prepare for the fixture on Tuesday 10 November alongside the club’s Espoirs (Under-23s).

Pyrgos will be joined by staff from Scottish Rugby, Edinburgh, and Glasgow to lead the trip, with the squad made up primarily of Academy prospects.

High-Performance Coach Development Lead Alan Lynn will be part of the travelling staff to ensure a focus on coach development across the week-long trip will be achieved, as well as player development.

The fixture forms part of an enhanced A-team programme for the 2026/27 season, with Edinburgh Rugby having already taken on Ealing Trailfinders, Leinster ‘A’, Harlequins Jesters and Leicester Tigers Under-23s.

The squad is made up of 13 Edinburgh Rugby and 12 Glasgow Warriors players, primarily of those within the club’s Academy programmes, with the addition of three full-time professionals in Lewis Wells (Scotland Sevens) and Warriors’ duo, Kerr Johnston and Ruaraidh Hart.

The capital club’s contingent includes backs Finlay Doyle, Matthew Fick, Hamish MacArthur, Nairn Moncrieff, Findlay Thomson, and Ross Wolfenden, and forwards Sam Byrd, Harry Jackaman, Christian Linday, Hamish Mather, Jack Utterson, and Ben White.

Warriors’ selection is spearheaded by pros Hart and Johnston, with the additions of backs Alex Bryden, Harry Provan, and Cameron Van Wyk, and forwards Rory Baxter, Dylan Cockburn, Dan Halkon, Ollie McKenna, Jackson Rennie, Joe Roberts, and Jake Shearer.

Head of Performance Pathways Al Kellock said: “This is a great opportunity for coaches and players to head to a new and competitive environment and have access to a week-long camp to help further their development.

“Bordeaux have been at the forefront of European rugby, with their back-to-back Champions Cup victories showing this, so it will be a tough challenge for the squad, but in a very positive way. We’ve been working cohesively with them to ensure development and shared learning, for the coaches and wider team, is at the heart of our trip to the south of France.

“We’re looking to get the most out of this week, and this is the best way to do so.”