Stuart Hogg will make an instant impact in Premiership Rugby next season; that’s according to his international and Glasgow Warriors team-mate Huw Jones.
The Scotland full-back will join Exeter Chiefs at the start of the next season as Rob Baxter continues to bolster the Devon club’s ranks as they continue to challenge on all fronts.
His current clubmate Jones has seen him grow into one of the world’s finest at his position in recent years and is backing him to continue to grow at his new club.
Imagine leading a team onto the field as a mascot in Japan. @LandRoverRugby is offering that chance to one lucky youngster. Enter Below. #RWC2019 #LandRoverRugby
— Stuart W Hogg (@StuartWHOGG_) April 2, 2019
https://t.co/ZZ54FOYU2h
“Hoggy is probably one of the best I’ve ever played with,” Jones said, speaking at a Land Rover event where three youngsters were chosen to fly to Japan and be Land Rover mascots during Rugby World Cup 2019.
“Everything he does he does to the best of his ability. He will enjoy life at Exeter.
“He has been at Glasgow Warriors for eight or nine years so maybe it was time for a move. “It’s a new environment and new players to test himself against. I think he can still improve a lot as a rugby player as he is still quite young.
“He has got a lot of time left so I see it as a good move for him.
“They are obviously a big club and doing well being in the top two of the Premiership all the time. Success is what brings players to any club.”
Appearing at the World Cup would cap a meteoric rise for Jones, who was playing Currie Cup rugby in South Africa when the last tournament was held.
There is a host of competition in the centres for Scotland boss Gregor Townsend could choose from including fellow Glasgow man Nick Grigg – who he will to partner for the PRO14 Final Series as they push to lift the domestic trophy.
But Jones could not be more excited of using the end of a season as a springboard for a potential campaign in Japan.
He has the prospect of playing at a World Cup for the first time, having only won the first of his 21 Test caps in 2016 – a year after Scotland were beaten 35-34 by Australia in the quarter finals in England at the last tournament.
“There is a lot of excitement for the World Cup coming up,” he added.
“We will have huge support. With any part of the world where the sport is not massive we should be trying to build it up.
What a bloody comeback! Incredible effort from every one of the @Scotlandteam boys. F*** me, I’m proud to be a Scotsman. #AsBloodyOne 🏴🏴🏴
— Stuart W Hogg (@StuartWHOGG_) March 16, 2019
“The whole tournament is a great spectacle. I’m bias but rugby is the best sport in the world.
“To have all the best teams in one place competing for the trophy is the best sporting spectacle there can be.
“Right now, my job is to get fit and hopefully put myself on the plane to go out there.
“Once we get out there we want to kick on and get some good rugby in.
“Making it out of the group would be the first step for Scotland, then we will have to see how far we can go after that.
“The people in Japan are quite fanatical about their rugby and there is a really big fan base who love the game.”
- Land Rover is a Worldwide Partner of Rugby World Cup 2019. To be in with the chance to be a mascot for the Rugby World Cup 2019 visit: https://www.premiershiprugby.com/landrovercompetition
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