GLASGOW Warriors have recruited cover for their injured winger Leonardo Sarto by signing Australian Ratu Tagive on a one-year deal. The 23-year-old, whose early career was in rugby league, has been a part of the Brumbies’ Super Rugby squad but more recently has been playing club rugby in Sydney.

“Ratu is quick and powerful, and arrives at a good time with Leonardo out for a few months through injury,” Warriors head coach Gregor Townsend said yesterday. “He has played at a good level in Australia and has shown that he has the ability to score tries and will help provide competition for places on the wing. I'm sure that he will develop within our environment and it won't take him long to look to get to grips with the style of rugby we play.”

Speaking on the Warriors’ website, Tagive said that, while he had grown up being league and had more experience in that code, he was sure that his time with the Brumbies had ensured he could make a positive contribution in union. “There is so much to be excited about, especially seeing how well the team has started the season.

“My roots are in rugby league, but I've spent a year at the Brumbies learning how to play union, surrounded by Wallabies and fantastic players, and I'm really grateful to everyone there for everything they've done for me.

“Taqele Naiyaravoro [the winger who played for Glasgow last season] is a really good mate of mine - we were together at the West Tigers. He was nice enough to give me a call last week and give me a bit of advice on what to expect.

“He only had good things to say about his experience at Glasgow and that was really reassuring. One thing I've noticed about watching Glasgow Warriors is their play is a lot more expansive than I anticipated, so it's really exciting and I can't wait to get started.”