New Zealand-born stand-off outlines Scotland cap aim but winning trophies with Glasgow Warriors is the priority

After a breakthrough season with Glasgow Warriors, Tom Jordan now has his sights set on international honours for his adopted country.

Tom Jordan, pictured during a Glasgow Warriors training session at Scotstoun Stadium, was the club's first-choice stand-off last season. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

The New Zealand-born stand-off will become Scottish-qualified through residency in November 2024 after five years in the country and, while his chief focus is on winning silverware with his club, the chance of playing Test rugby is an enticing one.

“I think as I’ve progressed more and more it’s something that I can definitely aim for now,” said Jordan who arrived in Scotland in 2019 to play for Ayrshire Bulls in the inaugural Super6. “When I first came over I wasn’t Scottish and I wasn’t really planning on being here but as I’ve stayed and played a few games it’s definitely something that, if the opportunity came up, you’d really push towards - once I’ve qualified.

“For now, it’s not an option for me because I’m not even qualified. It’s a cool thing to think of for the future but now, for me, it’s just about Glasgow. They’re the ones that gave me the opportunity and I’m working really hard. I think we’ve got a great squad here and I think we can go and do something special. I think we’ve got a team that can win a trophy or even two trophies, so that’s my main focus now for the next season or two.”

Jordan, 25, who is equally comfortable at inside centre, helped the Ayrshire Bulls win the Super6 in 2021, catching the eye with a man-of-the-match performance in the final win over Southern Knights. He trained with Glasgow that season and won a contract but had to be patient for his pro debut. The arrival of Franco Smith as head coach proved pivotal. Smith picked him at 10 for the first league game of last season and Jordan went on to play 23 times as Glasgow finished fourth in the United Rugby Championship and reached their first European final, which he missed through suspension.

“I was really grateful for the opportunities I got given under Franco but I didn’t really expect the season to go like that, to get the opportunities,” said Jordan. “And how we ended up was awesome as well.”

Versatility is one of the Auckland-born player’s chief assets and although he was Glasgow’s first-choice stand-off last season, he has played a lot at centre and also came on at full-back against Munster. “It’s just rugby for me - it’s the same skills,” he said.

Jordan cut his teeth in his homeland with Waikato, playing for their development team and under-19s while studying finance and accounting at university in Hamilton. He then spent time with the Chiefs development side before deciding to try his luck in Scotland.

“When I first came over it was a case of play in the Super6 and get some more game-time, experience something different then go back to NZ. But when I came over I really enjoyed it. This side of the world is really great for travel and stuff. It’s a bit harder to get to Europe when you’re in New Zealand so that side of things was awesome and I thought, ‘There’s a lot of the world to see’, and I ended up staying and eventually got called into training [with Glasgow] and just went from there.”