Meet the well-travelled Glasgow centre Paddy Kelly

Date of birth 18 October 1995 Country Scotland

When did you first start playing?

I was five and it was at my local club in Inverness, Highland. My dad was involved with the coaching there.

Did you play different positions?

I played a bit at ten but I’ve mainly been in midfield. I like getting to run with the ball, the tackling and being in the thick of it in games.

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You played for Le Parc in France…

I went there the year after school and it was a really good experience. I was expecting to come back and go to uni, but I played for Scotland U20 that year and got offered an academy contract with Glasgow.

You’ve been on the John Macphail Scholarship to NZ too…

That was last summer and it was brilliant. I’d had a bad run of injuries the previous season so it was great to get some rugby under my belt. It was a high standard to play at Marist Albion in Christchurch. The coaching set-up at the academy was really good too.

Do you think you’ve benefited from playing in three countries?

Definitely. They’re different cultures with different things to learn. I’ve been fortunate to travel with rugby, picking up bits along the way.

You’ve signed a pro contract with Glasgow. What are you ambitions now?

Just to play as much as possible for Glasgow. I plan to stay here for the foreseeable future and want to embed myself in the squad. It’s a massive honour and I’m delighted to get that chance.

RW Verdict: Kelly, who is studying English & Philosophy at the University of Glasgow, can be the next in a long line of talented Warriors centres and will benefit from the arrival of Kiwi coach Dave Rennie next season.

This article first appeared in the June 2017 issue of Rugby World.