Shortlist for the McCrea Financial Services Warrior of the Month for May 2024 Revealed!
Four Glasgow Warriors are in the running to be named as the club’s final McCrea Financial Services Warrior of the Month for 2023/24, after Head Coach Franco Smith named his shortlisted quartet for May.
With preparations continuing for Saturday’s massive BKT United Rugby Championship quarter-final with the DHL Stormers at Scotstoun, supporters will be able to vote for their chosen winner for the final time in 2023/24, after Smith’s men recorded a second successive top-four finish in the final standings.
Supporters can vote for their winner until 12pm on Saturday 8 June on the club’s official Twitter channel.
The nominees are:
Johnny Matthews
Try-scoring phenomenon Matthews finished the regular season in trademark fashion, crossing for a brace of tries against Zebre Parma at Scotstoun to help his side secure a 38-26 bonus-point win and secure to Scottish-Italian Shield.
Matthews’ tallies also saw the hooker confirm his position as the top try-scorer in the BKT URC, his total of 14 two clear of his nearest challenger, Akker van der Merwe of the Vodacom Bulls.
The former Sedgley Park man also featured in both legs of the club’s double-header in South Africa, featuring against both the Bulls and Emirates Lions across the course of May.
Scott Cummings
Second-rower Cummings was an ever-present for the Warriors in May, featuring in all three fixtures over the month.
His efforts in the lineout and in the loose saw him finish the regular season with more turnovers than any other Warrior, his tally of 11 seeing him sit joint 10th across the whole BKT URC.
Cummings also played all bar 16 minutes of Glasgow’s match action in May, starting both matches in South Africa before coming off the bench early in the win over Zebre Parma.
Rory Darge
Openside flanker Darge finished the regular season in typically impressive fashion, playing a vital role in his side’s win over Zebre Parma to secure the Scottish-Italian Shield.
A Player of the Match-winning display saw the Scotland co-captain lead from the front in front of a sold-out Scotstoun, with two turnovers and three line breaks amongst an industrious performance.
Darge also started both matches out in South Africa, regularly causing mayhem at the breakdown for both the Bulls and Lions.
Sione Tuipulotu
Tuipulotu was another to feature in all three of his side’s fixtures across May, the centre playing all 240 minutes across the month.
A lynchpin in defence, his distribution also helped to create opportunities in attack during Glasgow’s South African double-header, a short pass sending Josh McKay over under the posts in Johannesburg.
Tuipulotu’s physicality then saw him create a score for Kyle Rowe at Scotstoun last Saturday, shrugging off the challenge of Simone Gesi before sending his Scotland team-mate over the whitewash.