Glasgow Warriors can challenge for trophies insists Scott Cummings as he signs ‘multi-year’ contract

Scott Cummings has offered a robust defence of Glasgow Warriors’ credentials as a major force after committing his future to the club by signing what is described as a “multi-year contract”.

Scott Cummings has signed a new deal with Glasgow Warriors and backed them to challenge for trophies again. Picture: Craig Williamson/SNS

Glasgow were coy about revealing the length of the deal which was strange given that this was a rare piece of good news in a season of almost unremitting misery.

At 24, Cummings is in his prime and firmly established in the Scotland squad and was presumably on the radar of clubs in England and elsewhere. But his decision to remain with his hometown team is a welcome tonic, particularly after the news earlier this month that Adam Hastings had become the latest star name to decide his future lay away from Scotstoun.

A combination of unfortunate circumstances has conspired to make this one of the most challenging campaigns in Warriors’ professional history and their last match - a 42-0 walloping at the hands of Exeter Chiefs - showed just how far they had fallen behind the game’s superpowers.

It is less than two years since Glasgow ran Leinster close in the Pro14 final in front of 47,000 supporters at Celtic Park. In many respects, it seems a long, long time ago.

But Cummings said signing the contract was an easy decision and insisted that the quality of players at the club convinced him they can challenge for major honours and be competitive in Europe.

“If I didn’t feel that the club had the ambition to try and compete and win trophies then I probably wouldn’t want to stay at it,” said the lock forward.

“It’s a club that wants to strive forward, and we want to be a club that’s competing in Europe, competing heavily in the league. Just because we’ve had a bit of a blip in our form towards the start of this season doesn’t mean that we’ve all of a sudden gone on this downwards spiral and we’re never going to win again. So 100 per cent I believe the team can still do really well.

“What I see is guys that are coming in every day and are willing to work hard and fight for the jersey. Yes, things haven’t gone our way and we’re still on a learning curve with a lot of new coaches, and there’s a lot of players who left at the end of last season, but things are changing.

“I believe in the squad and I believe in the club.”

His words will be music to the ears of Danny Wilson whose first season as head coach has been beset with problems, most of which have been outwith his control.

Cummings, though, can perhaps be the catalyst to revive their campaign.

“I was born in Glasgow, born and bred here, and I supported the club for years and years before I even started playing, so to get to represent Glasgow means a lot to me and the chance to continue doing that is a great thing for me,” said the player.

“I told my agent that I wanted to stay. He talked to the club and they wanted to keep me and we got it all sorted. I’m just really happy that I get to play for the club I love for the next couple of years.”

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