Tom Jordan to Depart Glasgow Warriors for Bristol Bears

Scottish rugby player Tom Jordan, who is proficient at fly-half, centre, and full-back, has finalized an agreement to join Bristol Bears and will depart Glasgow Warriors when the current season concludes. The 26-year-old was a key contributor to Glasgow’s United Rugby Championship victory last season and has demonstrated significant progress in the Test match environment this month. His international debut occurred as a substitute against Fiji, and he subsequently delivered a strong performance in his initial Test start against the world champion South Africa, even though he played full-back, a position not his primary role. Discussions between Glasgow and Jordan regarding a contract extension were in progress and appeared to be nearing a resolution. However, the English Premiership club intervened to secure the versatile back, whose current agreement at Scotstoun is set to expire this summer. Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend commented, “It’s a positive that players are getting offers from other clubs. It’s not so much a positive if players are leaving,” Townsend continued, “I know Glasgow will be disappointed to lose someone of Tom’s ability and his versatility. But we have players who play outside of Scotland and perform well for us at national level. I’m sure Tom will continue to grow whatever position he plays next year.” He further added, “We’d always heard he was a sponge of learning and wanting to get better playing 10.” Townsend also stated, “There has been a transformation from someone that looked more like a centre and was a ball carrier to now being someone that understands defences, kicks well and still has that ball-carrying strength. “We hoped he would be able to play well at full-back if called upon. We didn’t expect him to play full-back during this period but he’s shown what a good rugby player he is. And what a good full-back he is.” Jordan, who was born in Auckland, qualifies to represent Scotland through residency, having initially relocated to the nation to play for the Ayrshire Bulls in the defunct Super Six league. His performance with the Bulls led to a contract with the Warriors in 2021, and his reputation has since grown, positioning him as a contender for a spot in Gregor Townsend’s match-day squads alongside some of Scotland’s most recognized offensive talents.