Glasgow adopt a community spirit for the new season

GLASGOW have stepped up their new marketing campaign to position the rugby team at the heart of city life by helping to promote an art exhibition, but it will be new faces on the rugby field they are hoping to 'sell' to the rugby public tomorrow night.

The Warriors have launched a new marketing effort entitled 'We Belong to Glasgow' and yesterday the whole squad pitched up at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, which has overtaken Edinburgh Castle as Scotland's most popular tourist attraction and is reported to be the most visited museum in the UK outside London, for its annual squad photograph.

Coach Sean Lineen said: "It's a fantastic spectacle for the people of Glasgow to see all the players in one location somewhere in the community, especially when some of the city's most iconic buildings provide the backdrop. These photographs are also a strong representation of what this club is about - we are here to represent Glasgow and we want the people of Glasgow to support the team."

Glasgow will return to their new Scotstoun training base today to continue preparations for the new season. The first of two warm-up matches is against Sale at Firhill tomorrow night (7.30pm). Lineen will unveil his side today, but Scotland scrum-half Chris Cusiter will not be involved as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.

He will not be the only internationalist missing, however, as Johnnie Beattie is out until the end of the year after undergoing a shoulder operation, and Graeme Morrison, Alastair Kellock, John Barclay and Dougie Hall will all be missing as they nurse knocks. Colin Gregor, John Welsh, James Eddie and Dave McCall are also injured.

Kellock remains upbeat and insisted games with Sale and Wasps provide an opportunity for new signings, including Chris Fusaro and Ryan Wilson, to stake claims for a starting jersey.