Namibian lock Tjiuee Uanivi to join Glasgow

Glasgow Warriors have completed the signing of Namibian international Tjiuee Uanivi for the upcoming season.

The 25-year-old will be joining as the replacement for his Fijian team-mate Leone Nakarawa, who has made a switch to French club Racing 92.

Uanivi started his professional career with France based club Brive following which he moved to the South African Super Rugby franchise in the 2016 season, though he failed to make any appearance for the club.

In his international career, Uanivi made his Fiji debut in October 2014 and went on to make 16 appearances including four World Cup games. The Namibian lock is due to join Glasgow next month, provided he clears visa and medical process.

The 6 ft 7 in back-row said he is excited to join the Scottish club and is looking forward to play on the artificial pitch at Scotstoun Stadium.

"I'm very pleased to have this opportunity to play with Glasgow Warriors next season.

"It's a club with a rich history, who play exciting rugby and have had lots of recent success, and I will do all I can to help that continue.

"The new artificial pitch at Scotstoun will really suit my style of play and I can't wait to get started with the players and coaches."

Meanwhile, Glasgow coach Gregor Townsend believes the addition of Uanivi will benefit Glasgow as they are looking for an improved performance in the upcoming season.

"Tjiuee has excellent athleticism and put in a number of impressive performances for Namibia at last year's Rugby World Cup.

"We believe his strengths suit the high-tempo rugby we aspire to play, but he will have to work hard every day to win a starting place up against the other second rows at the club.

"We now have a really good balance within our second-row group for next season and it will be exciting to see them build partnerships and continue to improve."