HOOKER Johnny Matthews and scrum-half Sean Kennedy have both agreed new deals to keep them with Glasgow Warriors until at least the end of the year. The two will provide much-needed cover during the autumn international window, and depending on financial restrictions could see their deals extended to cover the Six Nations as well.

“There is a strong possibility we will lose hookers to both Scotland and Fiji during the international window,” head coach Danny Wilson said about the re-signing of 27-year-old Matthews, who joined from Boroughmuir in the summer of 2019. “Johnny has gone well in the past for the Warriors and has been training well during the most recent window.”

Fraser Brown, George Turner and Mesu Dolokoto are the potential absentee hookers, while the probable loss of leading scrum-halves Ali Price and George Horne led to the retention of 29-year-old Kennedy. “It is evident we will need further cover at scrum-half as we could be without Ali [Price] and George [Horne] for an extended period of time,” Wilson added.

“I have been impressed with Sean watching him from afar. He has trained well during this recent period and I’m looking forward to continuing to work with him over the coming months.”

Kennedy, formerly of Edinburgh, will share No 9 duties with Jamie Dobie during the Autumn Test window. Full-back Glenn Bryce also agreed a short-term extension recently, and in his case too there is a possibility of an extension in the New Year if finances permit.

The news of the two fresh re-signings comes a day after the Warriors confirmed that both No 8 Adam Ashe and loosehead prop Charlie Capps are leaving the club. Ashe played 74 times for Glasgow in his eight years, while Capps joined from Stade Nicois on a one-year deal last autumn and made his one and only Warriors appearance in last week’s win against Edinburgh.