Jack Dempsey belongs to Glasgow - but he’s keeping his Aussie accent

Jack Dempsey reckons that agreeing to sign a new deal with Glasgow Warriors was such an easy decision that it wasn’t really a decision at all.

Jack Dempsey said signing a new contract with Glasgow Warriors was an easy decision. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

There is nowhere the 28-year-old No 8 would rather be right now, and having his contractual situation nailed down for at least another two seasons will allow him to focus on his twin goals of winning silverware at club level this season then going on to represent Gregor Townsend’s Scotland at the World Cup in the autumn. It will be Dempsey’s second World Cup experience after he wore the gold and green of his native Australia in Japan in 2019, before switching allegiance last autumn through World Rugby’s controversial three-year stand-down rule.

“It was written on the wall once I finalised my decision with Scotland and where I wanted to spend my long-term future,” he said of the new Warriors deal, which was announced on Wednesday. “To be honest, there wasn’t much thinking needed. I’ve been happy since I came here in terms of the rugby side and settled well with the lads, the city and the country. So, I’m just really enjoying my time here. And looking not just at the Warriors but at what Gregor’s doing with Scotland, I think he’s got the best out of me as well. You have your tricky up and down seasons due to injury or form and I’ve experienced that in the past, so it’s about knowing when you’re in the right place and being aware of that and that’s the biggest thing for me. I wouldn’t say I was a proper Glasgow boy – every morning I get on YouTube and keep my Australian accent going because I wouldn’t ever want to lose that! But I’m living in the West End [of Glasgow] as a few of the boys do, and a lot of the guys I’m closest to are the Aussie and Kiwi guys like Sione Tuipulotu, so that keeps you fresh and makes you less homesick if that makes sense.”

Looking ahead, Dempsey has very clear short and medium-term goals.

Jack Dempsey impressed for Scotland during the recent Guinness Six Nations. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

“No-one here wants to be sitting on the sidelines come the knockout games,” he stated. “Every coach has their own philosophies and different players have their own mindsets, but you shouldn’t be scared to voice what you want. And that all comes into visualisation and manifesting it verbally, whether in the locker room or on the training park or in meetings. That’s why I moved over here – to play in big games and win competitions. There’s also a World Cup coming and everyone wants to be involved in that and perform well. Having been part of the last World Cup with Australia, that build-up and the carrot for everyone who wants to be a part of it, that’s a big part of it now when you go back to your club. Given how relatively successful we were at the Six Nations you want to continue being a part of that group. It’s a group with a lot of aspirations, ambition and a hunger to perform.”

Warriors head coach Franco Smith gave Dempsey last weekend off to recover from his Six Nations exploits but he will be back in the mix for Saturday evening’s Challenge Cup last-16 clash against the Dragons at Scotstoun.