Richie Gray: I’m available for Scotland again

Lock forward says desire is there to wear dark blue again

Richie Gray is back at Glasgow Warriors and ready to make himself available for Scotland again. Picture: SNS

Veteran lock Richie Gray has confirmed that he is ready to resume his Scotland career after declining the chance to appear at last year’s World Cup in Japan.

The 30-year-old, who has 65 caps and one Lions Test on his CV, is back in Glasgow for a second stint at the Warriors after moving from Toulouse. He hasn’t played for Scotland since the 2018 Six Nations match against Italy and turned down national coach Gregor Townsend last year due to a series of injuries and the arrival of his first child.

However, Gray says he is now keen to pull on the dark blue. “The desire is always there and that’s the same for every player, to represent your country,” he said. “But first and foremost, the priority is Glasgow. Every player will tell you that you need to play well for your club before looking at internationals.

“You also have to take into account that the [Scotland] second row is pretty strong at the moment. There is a lot of strength in depth and the competition for places is tough. So let’s see what happens.

“Gregor was very understanding, left the door open.” Gray said he would be available for selection if Scotland’s outstanding 2020 Six Nations match against Wales in Cardiff is rescheduled for 31 October.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Joy Yates

Editorial Director