‘No regrets’: Scotland hooker took New Zealand route after academy snub

The Glasgow Warriors hooker was overlooked initially for a place in one of the academies and, at the age of 18, left for New Zealand.

Stephen spent an enjoyable and invaluable 10 months in Waikato before answering his country’s call, returning home to represent Scotland Under-20s in the World Trophy. He helped them win silverware and promotion back to the top tier but even that wasn’t enough to land him an academy spot.

A stint with Edinburgh Accies followed before he responded to another SOS, this time from Franco Smith at Glasgow Warriors. Here, his progress was rapid and he now finds himself part of Gregor Townsend’s Scotland squad, preparing for the All Blacks at Murrayfield.

Looking forward to the Haka

The hard-carrying Stephen has no regrets about his time in New Zealand.

“I loved it out there, and just loved the way that they play rugby,” he said. “I'm looking forward to watching the Haka, that'll be pretty cool to see. I've got admiration for the way that they play their game and their style of rugby, and their mindset as well.

“I played for the University of Waikato, in the premiership, so just below NPC. I had played Scotland under-18s, and then off the back of that I didn't get offered any junior or senior academy [place]. So I just chatted with my parents about what was next. We made the decision to do something a bit different.

“I don't regret it at all because I was out there for 10 months, came back, played in the Junior World Trophy. All the boys who are at my stage were saying that they're very envious that I've had the life experience they had maybe missed out on when they were in the academy. I wouldn't have done it any other way.”

Stephen, 21, was born in Aberdeen and came through at Garioch RFC in Inverurie, Glenalmond College and Aberdeen Grammar. His path into pro rugby has been unconventional but rewarding.

“I've heard so many stories about ups and downs and people's journeys not being in a straight line and I just kind of took that mindset and thought it's not going to be perfect and I've not got what I wanted off the back of under-18s. Eventually I'll come back and hopefully something will come.

“I've played with so many people from Caledonia and Glasgow who had just beaten themselves up because they'd been released from the team and they hadn't made selection and they thought it was the end of the world and I was definitely a part of that when I didn't get picked for a game.

Impressed by New Zealand’s can-do attitude

“I thought, ‘oh, I don't know, I'm done, I'm not playing rugby anymore’. You go out there [to New Zealand] and everything is such a can-do attitude, if that makes sense. They don't get selected for the first team and then they're excited about the opportunity to go and play colts or they're excited about the opportunity to go and play a league below.”

His New Zealand adventure was ended prematurely by a call from then Scotland U20 coach Kenny Murray and Stephen was part of the squad that defeated the USA in the World U20 Trophy final in Edinburgh in summer 2024.

He was back on the Scottish Rugby radar and although there was still no academy place on offer, he got more exposure to adult rugby with Edinburgh Accies.

“I was working in a coffee shop as well, and then I did the Under-20 Six Nations, and then it was after the Wales game I got asked to go into Glasgow. That was the beginning of it all.

Answering an SOS from Glasgow Warriors

“I think Johnny Matthews had done something to his knee, Gregor [Hiddleston] had something with his arm, Grant Stewart had something with his back, so they were slightly depleted.

“So they were looking for someone to come in just for training numbers really. So it was a short-term contract, and then at the end of that season I got offered an academy contract off the back of that.

“So I signed the academy contract and was on that for a year, and it was meant to be a two-year academy contract, but it got cut early to a pro deal [in April this year].”

A Scotland debut followed in the summer against Fiji and Stephen is now looking forward to the Nations Championship and maybe even facing the All Blacks. It would be the perfect full-circle moment.