Sione Tuipulotu embraces Scotland captaincy as reward for commitment

Scotland’s Sione Tuipulotu attributes his recent appointment as national team captain to the dedication he’s shown since joining Glasgow in 2021.

The 27-year-old, born in Australia but eligible for Scotland through his Greenock-born grandmother Jacqueline Thomson, has quickly become a prominent figure in Scottish rugby.

Now, ahead of the Autumn Nations Series, Tuipulotu will lead Gregor Townsend’s squad for the first time as captain, bringing his drive and commitment to a leadership role.

He is set to earn his 27th cap this Saturday against Fiji, only three years after his debut for Scotland and a few years since leaving Japan’s Shizuoka Blue Revs for Glasgow’s Scotstoun.

Reflecting on his journey, Tuipulotu expressed pride in the work ethic and passion that have propelled him to captaincy.

“I look back at when I first came over and I did two weeks quarantine because it was in the Covid times and then when I popped out, one of the boys got Covid, so I ended up doing four weeks in a hotel before I did any training,” he smiled.

“I remember those were some pretty dark days. I was thinking about going home, to be honest, because it was getting a bit tough!

“But I’m so glad I made the move to come over. The progress I’ve made probably doesn’t surprise me because I put my heart and soul into my journey here and I’ve worked really hard to get to this point, not only with Scotland, but also with Glasgow.”

Adding to the emotion of the occasion, Tuipulotu’s mother, Angelina, will be present at Murrayfield to witness her son’s first game as captain. Meanwhile, his Scottish grandmother, Jacqueline Thomson, who inspired his connection to Scotland, will proudly watch from her home in Australia.

“My grandma’s finally figured out how to use social media and she started replying to some of the fans online,” he laughed. “I think some of the fans were saying ‘thank you to Granny from Greenock’ and she’s replying, ‘no worries’, stuff like that, which is hilarious.

“She doesn’t even have a Facebook profile picture, just blank face and Jacqueline Thomson, but she’s stoked and she’ll be up early in the morning watching our games.”