| “We’re delighted that Euan is staying with us,” Hugh Campbell, Glasgow’s head coach, said today. “He is one of the most exciting prospects in Scottish rugby, and he has the all-round ability to reach the top of the game. It’s been a difficult season for him with injury and suspension. But for that, he might have been capped by now.”
Campbell also welcomed Barker’s signing. “Tim has been in the Ulster squad for a couple of years, and he has now decided to take a new route to further his career. I’m sure he’ll fit in well with our squad.”
Murray played his way up the ladder in Scotland’s age-grade squads while he was with the former Glasgow Southern club and then Glasgow Hawks before he was enlisted by Glasgow on a full-time professional contract in 2003. He played in all but four of Glasgow’s 31 games last season, but his availability this season has been restricted to just 11 matches.
He was in the Scotland squad on the 2004 summer tour to Australia, though he returned home without playing a game because of injury. It was November before he had his first start for Glasgow this season. An eight-week ban and further injury interrupted the 24-year-old prop’s season, but he made an impressive return in Glasgow’s Celtic League victory against Cardiff at Hughenden two weeks ago. He is a certain starter for Glasgow’s visit to Llanelli on Saturday.
Barker, a product of the Malone and Dungannon clubs, has been on a development contract with Ulster for the past two years. At 23 years old he has decided to look at new pastures across the water here in Scotland. He will replace Nathan Ross, who left Glasgow last month to join Exeter Chiefs.
Today’s announcement of the Murray and Barker signings follows the news last week that Glasgow had enlisted Craig Hamilton, Newcastle Falcons’ Scotland international lock forward, as well as re-signing 10 of the current squad, including four capped players.
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