In demand Scotland star commits to Glasgow Warriors after considering other offers - 'I had a look around'

Zander Fagerson said signing a new contract with Glasgow Warriors was “an easy decision” because he believes the squad is capable of adding more trophies to the United Rugby Championship title they won last season.

The Scotland prop admitted he considered other offers but decided staying put was the best option for both personal and professional reasons.

At 28, Fagerson is in his prime and is widely regarded as one of the world’s best tightheads. There would have been no shortage of suitors from France and England but the chance to land more silverware under Franco Smith convinced him to sign the new deal which he said was for “a couple of years”.

Zander Fagerson, pictured at Hampden Park ahead of the 1872 Cup match against Edinburgh, has signed a new multi-year deal with Glasgow Warriors. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group) | SNS Group

“We know what we need to do to win the league, but we want to kick on and win other trophies as well,” said Fagerson. “I think once you get a taste of that winning feeling, you just want to keep trying to go for more.

“But at the same time, developing personally and collectively as a team, I think there's been a massive growth in the last two years and I still feel we've got a bit more to go as well. So that's really exciting as well to be part of. So I think the overall package at Glasgow, being part of that squad is just exciting and it's something I want to be part of.”

Fagerson made his debut for the club over 10 years ago and was a fringe member of the Warriors squad which won the Pro12 in 2014-15. He then played in the 2019 Pro14 final which Glasgow lost to Leinster at Celtic Park and the 2023 Challenge Cup final which saw Toulon beat the Warriors in Dublin. The big breakthrough came last season and he was the cornerstone of the URC triumph, playing the full 80 minutes in all three play-off matches as Glasgow beat the Stormers, Munster and then, finally, the Bulls in South Africa in what was one of the great Scottish sporting success stories.

“The manner in which we did it was unbelievable and I have memories that will last me a lifetime,” he added. “So I just want to go and do it all again.”

Zander Fagerson lifts the URC trophy after Glasgow's victory over Vodacom Bulls at Loftus Versfeld in June. (Photo by Anton Geyser/SNS Group) | SNS Group

Fagerson’s stock is high so persuading him to stay at Scotstoun is a major coup for Glasgow and Scottish rugby, and he joins his international team-mates Sione Tuipulotu and Stafford McDowall in signing new contracts at the club. “It was an easy decision,” said the prop. “I love coming to work with the culture we've got at Glasgow, and the players we have, and the friendships I've got here. I'm always coming to work with a smile on my face. You come to work, you know you're going to have to work hard, but we have a laugh with it as well - it's a great place to be.

“Did I look elsewhere? Yeah, I’ll be honest. I did have a little look around, but I think for me, developing personally as a player, and just the situation for me and my family, I think Glasgow's a perfect fit. So I feel like I've still got a bit to grow as a player still as well. I'm not the finished article, and I think the best place for me to do that and keep pushing on is Glasgow, to play for Glasgow and for Scotland.

“I think with every player, there'll be some interest. But for me, it was all about what's going to help me develop as a player, on and off the field. I felt, just for me, the easy decision was Glasgow.”

Fagerson’s wife Yasmine gave birth to twins last month but the father of four said she urged him not to let that influence the decision on his professional future. “My wife's a rock star,” beamed Fagerson. “She said, ‘don't worry about it, we'll make it work’. So full credit to her. She does all the hard work. I get the easy job, I get to come to work. She said, don't let that sway decisions. It was a factor being close to home, being close to family and stuff, but it wasn't one of the key decisions that swayed it for me personally.

“Some of the players that we've kept, like Sione and Stafford, these are key guys that drive training standards, drive the culture on and off the pitch, and to be around those guys day in, day out, we're just going to push each other and keep getting better. And I think the transition as well from playing with these guys for the club and going with the country as well makes it smoother. So that's one of the key things to sticking around and I think Glasgow have done a great job retaining as many players as they have.”

Zander Fagerson is a key figure for Glasgow and Scotland. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group) | SNS Group / SRU

Fagerson was speaking at Hampden where the Warriors will host Edinburgh on Sunday in the first leg of the 1872 Cup, the annual festive double-header which pitches Scotland’s two pro sides against each other. Glasgow have never before played at the national football stadium in the pro era and it will also be a personal first for Fagerson.

“I'll be honest with you, I haven't actually been to a football game here before. To see everyone getting behind it is class. So I think the step moving over here was pretty bold, but I think it's paid off.”

Around 28,000 are expected on Sunday as Hampden hosts its second derby in a row. Celtic and Rangers contested the League Cup final last weekend and when it was put to Fagerson that the Glasgow-Edinburgh rivalry doesn’t quite have the same intensity, he smiled: “Rangers and Celtic don't tackle each other, so I don't know! I'll be honest, I've got a lot of mates who are Edinburgh players, I hang out with them quite a lot as well. But when it comes to these games, I absolutely love it.

“I know some players hate it, but I love it. It's great fun, and if you can flick that switch and play against your mates, it's always good fun and you can get one up on them. As I touched on before, I just love playing for Glasgow and getting an opportunity on Sunday. It's just another game for me. It's going to be awesome. I love it.”