Glasgow Warriors should have no shortage of pace among their pack this season after securing the signature of one of the most athletic forwards in the world game.
Fijian lock Leone Nakarawa is good enough to have been capped on 15 occasions by his country, but the 6ft 6in forward has also shone in international sevens in a side that is not exactly renowned for fielding donkeys. Nakarawa becomes the third Fijian on Glasgow's books, following scrum-half Niko Matawalu, the Warriors' player of the year last season, and Jerry Yanuyanutawa, the prop who came to the Warriors from London Irish. Nakarawa will join a club which puts an emphasis on fitness and dynamism among the forwards, as evidenced by the signings of Josh Strauss and Richie Vernon over the past 12 months.
"This is excellent news for the club," said Gregor Townsend, the Warriors head coach. "We've been tracking Leone for a long time and we're delighted that he's agreed to join us. He has played both 15s and sevens for Fiji and is a dynamic and skilful player. His ball carrying ability and versatility will really strengthen our squad. We now have great competition for places in our pack, with a mix of different qualities and this should stand us in good stead next season. We're looking forward to Leone starting training tomorrow."
Like Matawalu before him, Nakarawa has never played domestic rugby overseas before, and comes to Glasgow from the Fiji Barbarians club. "I'm very excited to have signed my first professional contract with Glasgow Warriors," said the 25-year-old Nakawara, who can also play in the back row. "I'm happy to be here and I'm looking forward to joining the squad for pre-season training.
"I've always wanted to play rugby outside of Fiji. I could have moved to England or France last year but stayed in Fiji and now I'm determined to make the most of this move. I've heard a lot about Glasgow from Niko and he talks very highly of the club. This will be a new experience for me and I can't wait to get started."
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