Glasgow Warriors say goodbye to their South African champion

Yesterday at 03:12 PM

TRANSFER NEWS: Glasgow Warriors loose forward Henco Venter will join French club CA Brive at the end of the season.

The 32-year-old South African has become a fan favourite amongst the Warrior Nation since arriving in 2023, scoring four tries in 32 appearances in Glasgow colours to date.

The first of those tries came in dramatic fashion during last season's URC play-off run, crashing over for a crucial score in the 27-10 quarterfinal victory over the Stormers at Scotstoun.

Venter appeared off the bench in each of Glasgow's three play-off victories en route to the 2024 URC title, including playing a key role in the Grand Final win at Loftus Versfeld.

A product of the famous Grey College in his homeland, and comfortable across all three back row positions, he will link up with former Warrior, Sam Johnson, for his new club.

"I want to thank everyone at the club, both on and off the field – the last couple of seasons have been one of the biggest highlights of my career," Venter told glasgowwarriors.org.

"To the Warrior Nation, I'd like to say thank you for your support ever since my family and I arrived in Glasgow. Thank you for pitching up to Scotstoun no matter the weather and getting behind us, because the opportunity to play for Glasgow and to play for this group of supporters has been next level.

"I look forward to coming back and having a beer with you all one day.

"I've enjoyed my time here immensely, and we're not finished yet – we've got a big finish to the season coming up, and I want to be as big a part of that as I can possibly be."

Head coach Franco Smith added: "Henco has had a tremendous influence on our playing group since his arrival at Scotstoun, and embodies what it means to be a Warrior.

"He has played a key role in the development of our squad, providing a consistently high standard of performance on the field and always driving standards off the field.

"He has been a great asset to our environment and always gives his all – we wish him and his family well for their next adventure."