Rugby news: Hamilton in Barbarians squad | Glasgow pre-season plans

Scotland lock Jim Hamilton. Picture: Ian Rutherford

A squad of 28 players has been drawn from a dozen nationalities for their two-match summer tour, with Saracens’ hooker Schalk Brits, Fijian wing Timoci Nagusa, Wallaby Dean Mumm, Italy’s Andrea Lo Cicero and Northampton’s American lock Samu Manoa the final call-ups. Wasps back Elliot Daly joins his clubmate Sam Jones as the traditional uncapped members of the squad.

The Barbarians meet on 22 May, face England on 26 May and meet the Lions on Saturday 1 June. Hamilton has been given permission by Scotland to play and then join the South Africa tour squad from Hong Kong, providing he has recovered fully from a recent minor operation.

Squad: Backs - J Payne (Ulster), R Varty (DeA Tigers/Hong Kong), T Ngwenya (Bairritz/USA), T Nagusa (Montpellier/Fiji), J Rokocoko (Bayonne/New Zealand), E Daly (Wasps), J Hook (Perpignan/Wales), N Evans (Harlequins/New Zealand), K Fotuali’i (Ospreys/Samoa), D Peel (Sale Sharks/Wales), D Yachvili (Biarritz/France); Forwards - D Jones (Ospreys/Wales), BJ Botha (Munster/South Africa), P James (Bath/Wales), M Castrogiovanni (Leicester/Italy), A Lo Cicero (Racing Metro 92/Italy), M Rees (Scarlets/Wales), L Ghiraldini (Benetton Treviso/Italy), S Brits (Saracens/South Africa), M Wentzel (Wasps/South Africa), J Hamilton (Gloucester/Scotland), D Mumm (Exeter/Australia), S Manoa (Northampton/USA), F Louw (Bath/South Africa), S Jones (Wasps), A Zanni (Treviso/Italy), S Parisse (Stade Francais/Italy), I Harinordoquy (Biarritz/France).

Warriors go south

GLASGOW Warriors will prepare for the new season with matches away to Aviva Premiership clubs Harlequins and Exeter.

They will face Harlequins for the first time at the Twickenham Stoop on Saturday 24 August (2.30pm), then head to Exeter’s Sandy Park for their final pre-season warm-up on Saturday 31 August (3pm).

Warriors coach Gregor Townsend said: “Harlequins are one of the top sides in England and only narrowly missed out on a place in the Premiership final, so it will be a good test for us ahead of the new season.

“Our pre-season preparation is crucial as we build up to our first league game at the start of September and these two matches will give us some much-needed game time to ensure we’re sharp and ready.”

Stormers fined

CAPE Town-based Stormers have been fined a total of £16,500 by Southern-hemisphere rugby body SANZAR after club members were found to have abused a match official during their Super 15 match against the Wellington Hurricanes last month.

While SANZAR did not elaborate on the incident, New Zealand media reported an assistant referee was abused by members of the Stormers’ management.

SANZAR said the Stormers have unreservedly apologised

to the match officials and Sheldon Eden-Whaitiri in particular.” The Stormers were fined £10,000 for insulting and offensive conduct towards match officials and £6,500 for bringing the game into disrepute.

U17 squad chosen

AS PART of their progression to under-18 age grade level, a squad of 20 has been selected for the national under-17 Player Development in July. Players, management and support staff will spend a fortnight at Valladolid in Spain with the focus on technical, tactical, mental and physical (strength and conditioning) training.

Squad: Stephen Ainslie (Loretto School/Berwick), Lewis Anderson (Marr College/Marr), Ben Chalmers(Earlston High School/Melrose), James Couper (Kelvinside Academy/Glasgow Hawks), Scott Cummings (Kelvinside Academy), Dan Elkington (Sedbergh School/Newcastle Falcons), Zander Fagerson (Strathallan School), Hugh Fraser (Merchiston Castle School), George Hedgely (Giggleswick School/Newcastle Falcons), Ruari Howarth (Galashiels Academy/Gala Wanderers), Rory Hutchinson (MPW Cambridge/Shelford), Chris Jollands (The High School of Dundee), Patrick Kelly (Merchiston Castle School), Jake Kerr (George Watson’s College), Josh Laird (Buckhaven HS/Kirkcaldy). Andrew Manson (Stewart’s Melville), Reuben Norville (St Paul’s College/London Irish), Gary Robertson (Galashiels Academy/Gala Wanderers),

Callum Sheldon (Queen Elizabeth/Kirby Lonsdale & Newcastle Falcons), Matt Smith (Stirling County).

Mackie win award

MACKIE Academy FP and the Sinclair family from Ross Sutherland Rugby Club have won the RBS Club of the Month and RBS Club Volunteers of the Month awards for April.

The Stonehaven-based club were recognised for the senior team’s turnaround this season. In the first half, they were bottom of RBS Caledonia Regional League Division 1, but ended the year in joint fifth, while their second XV also won their only game in April 95-0 against Grampian Police.

Connie (49), Lucy (18) and Lauris Sinclair (13) won the RBS Club Volunteer of the Month award for “the hard work and team ethos they have in making sure the young players at Ross Sutherland get fed”. In April, they also organised a brunch, serving a full cooked breakfast to 50 people that day.