Glasgow Warriors officially confirm Leone Nakarawa is returning to club

Leone Nakarawa has agreed to re-join Glasgow Warriors, subject to visa and medical.

The Fijian is due to arrive in Glasgow today (Thursday 2nd), having put pen-to-paper on a deal until the end of the season.

The 31-year-old made 69 appearances for the Warriors in his first spell at the club, following his debut against Connacht at the Sportsground in November 2013.

Nakarawa – who is comfortable in the second-row or back-row – quickly became a firm favourite with the Warrior Nation, with his signature offloading ability lighting up many a match in both the Guinness PRO14 and Heineken Champions Cup.

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Nowhere was his ability more evident than in the 2015 Guinness PRO12 Final, as the irrepressible Nakarawa put in a Man of the Match display to help the Warriors win their maiden title.

Standing at 6’6”, the man from Tavua has represented his country 61 times and has played in three Rugby World Cups. He was named in the official team of the tournament at England 2015.

After leaving Glasgow in 2016, he went on to play 86 games for Racing 92, scoring 23 tries during a three-year spell at the Top14 side.

Nakarawa is also able to boast an Olympic gold medal in his impressive career to date, helping Fiji to 7s glory at Rio 2016 to secure the country’s first-ever Olympic medal. He was then named European Player of the Year in 2017/18 at the end of his second season in Paris.

Speaking to glasgowwarriors.org, Leone Nakarawa, said: “I’ve remained close with my ex-teammates during my time in Paris and they played a big role in my decision to come back.

“I’m really looking forward to working with Dave Rennie and the coaching staff. Glasgow Warriors play an attacking style, which suits the way I like to play.

“The pitch may be different but I can’t wait to see some familiar faces in the crowd when I run out at Scotstoun”.

Glasgow Warriors Head Coach, Dave Rennie, added: “We’re rapt to welcome Leone back to Glasgow.

“Everyone knows how dangerous he is with ball in hand and Glasgow supporters have fond memories of his previous exploits in a Warriors jersey.

“Since his move Leone has continued to develop as a player and was named the European Player of the Year for the 2017/18 season.

“He is close with a lot of the players and we’re looking forward to welcoming him back into the squad this week.”