Sione Tuipulotu to stay in Scotland despite Premiership interest

Scotland’s star centre Sione Tuipulotu is expected to stay at Glasgow Warriors amid interest from Premiership and Top 14 clubs.

Harlequins are thought to be interested in the 27-year-old centre, who has established himself as an integral figure for both Warriors and Gregor Townsend’s national team, but sources indicate that Tuipulotu’s contract extension with the Scottish Rugby Union and Glasgow is all but official.

Tuipulotu, who is sure to be under serious consideration for next year’s British and Irish Lions tour to his native Australia, is also thought to have been courted by both Stade Français and Montpellier on the other side of the Channel.

Hope of a potential move to Harlequins swelled among their supporters this week as it was reported in France that centre Lennox Anyanwu was poised to leave the Twickenham Stoop for Montpellier.

Anyanwu has enjoyed a strong start to the campaign in the absence of André Esterhuizen. Last term, he was name-checked by Steve Borthwick as a potential England international that was striving for Premiership game-time.

This season, with Esterhuizen now back in South Africa with the Sharks, he has brought eye-catching physicality to the Harlequins midfield and was particularly impressive in the defeat of Saracens.

Ironically, Saracens were mentioned as another potential destination for the 23-year-old. In the summer of 2022, Hugh Tizard moved across London after graduating from the Harlequins academy but Mark McCall is not lacking for midfield options with Alex Lozowski, Nick Tompkins, Lucio Cinti, Josh Hallett, Sam Spink and Ollie Hartley all on the books.

There are other potential centres at Harlequins, should Anyanwu depart. Luke Northmore wore 12 in the 26-24 loss to Bath on Saturday and Bryn Bradley is also part of first-team plans.

Tuipulotu qualifies for Scotland via his grandmother, who is from Greenock, and has been joined in the country this season by his brother, Mosese, who is also a centre now playing for Edinburgh.

Ottavio, another sibling, who plays at hooker, is currently at Waratahs and Sione has spoken publicly about the possibility of Ottavio coming to Scotland as well.