TOM LAMBERT has graduated from an academy contract to a full-time deal at Glasgow Warriors. The length of time he has signed up for is a secret because it is Scottish Rugby policy to divulge as little information as possible to member clubs and paying customers.
The 20-year-old Australian-born and Scottish-qualified loose-head prop has impressed for Danny Wilson‘s side since making his debut off the bench in the 14th minute of the loss to Benetton at the start of this Rainbow Cup campaign. He then played 41 minutes after Oli Kebble‘s sending-off in the first leg of the Warriors’ double-header against Edinburgh, and started the return tie eight days later.
Lambert first came onto the Scottish rugby radar via the national under-20s side during the 2020 Six Nations campaign, and he made the switch from Sydney University to the Scottish Rugby Academy last summer.
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“I’ve been really enjoying my time at Glasgow,” he said. “Coming from Australia at the start of the season, the boys have made the transition really easy. It’s an awesome club, a really good group with great values that like to train really hard on the pitch and have a laugh together off it.
“This season I’ve done a lot of work with Danny [Wilson] and the coaches on my game to ensure when I got my opportunity, I would be able to hold my own in the scrums and set piece. They have given me a really good lead-in to professional rugby, and I feel like I’m in a good place to kick on and continue to keep pushing for selection.
“I’m really hungry to play more rugby – I’ve had a taste of what it is like to play for Glasgow this season and my main focus now is to keep playing and competing for my place in the 23.
“Overall, I’m just excited to be turning professional with the club. I’ve started to build a life for myself here in Glasgow and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”
Wilson praised Lambert’s work ethic in pushing himself up the pecking order at Warriors this season.
“Tom has really proved himself in recent weeks,” he said. “He’s a good, young prospect who’s been willing to put in the hard work off the pitch throughout the season to develop his game and has earned the opportunities he’s had against Edinburgh and Benetton.
“It’s great to see another academy member turn professional and we looking forward to seeing more of him in a Glasgow jersey next season.”
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@septic+9 – Can you please provide some examples of these conspiracy theories you keep referring to?
actually I said attracts (Trump like) conspiracy theorists. Fed by you shoehorning in an attack on the SRU into almost every article. A vendetta. Its eating you and spoiling ToL, it isn’t good to see. Perhaps you should read more of the comments, consider whether they are what you intend to foster, and as I suggested earlier discuss it with your peers.
Okay, so can you please provide an example of a Trump-like conspiracy theorist commenter espousing a Trump-like conspiracy theory?
The vast majority of articles don’t mention the SRU at all, but don’t let that get in the way of, dare I say it, your own Trump-like conspiracy theory.
I’m entirely comfortable that every contributor is happy with our editorial policy of supporting strong opinions on any subject related to Scottish rugby, so long as they can be supported by factual analysis and reasoned debate. They don’t necessarily agree with me but if they thought that my opinions were invalid and unfair then they wouldn’t continue contributing. It is very simple. Did it really not occur to you that I speak regularly to the TOL’s contributors?
As for our comments section, I am delighted that there is a broad church of opinions expressed, and the only ones that I take issue with are those which revert to baseless insults rather than debate the issue.
Hi David.
I don’t agree with everything you or septic9 are saying but thought I’d throw my opinion in.
I love that you have a website dedicated to providing news on Scottish rugby, it’s usually the first place I go to for my rugby news. So for that I thank you. While I don’t believe that you publish ‘trump like conspiracy’s’ there is an undercurrent within many articles of suspicion of the SRU. Now, I agree that they make many mistakes and are in no way perfect, and should be held to task, I’m not so keen that it’s shoehorned in to as many articles.
The above article is about Glasgow signing a young talented prop, that should be a good news story, but it’s tainted slightly be comments about the contract length. I’m frustrated too that we now don’t know how long we have players for, but maybe do a specific article on that, rather than tainting otherwise positive stories. At one point it felt like ‘the Keith Russell Affair’ was shoehorned into many completely unrelated stories. Not to belittle that incident as it was a serious issue, and the dedicated articles about it were well written.
And to be fair a lot of it comes from posters in the comments section as well, rather than your journalism. Anyway I will keep reading and hope my comments are constructive.
Thanks for your comment Alastair.
I’m not sure I agree that a ‘good news’ story is tarnished by me referring once again to Scottish Rugby’s new policy on not revealing contract lengths, but I do understand your point.
My view is that TOL’s function is not to provide PR for Scottish Rugby or anyone else. It is there to provide readers with as much information about the game in this country as we can, and reasonable/thought-provoking analysis of that news. I believe that this new policy stops us doing that, and so I have chosen to continue to highlighting it – especially because I think it is representative of a deeper-rooted problem about how Scottish Rugby communicates with its stake-holders.
It is a similar situation with the Keith Russell affair. In my view, Scottish Rugby has failed to address the fundamental issues raised by that episode, and certain damaging behaviours exposed at that time continue to impact the way the game is run. Of course it would be convenient for some – particularly certain individuals at Murrayfield – that we all stopped talking about it, but that’s not how accountability works. I don’t believe that we ‘shoe horn’ Keith Russell into unrelated stories because that story underlies and is therefore relevant to the ongoing crisis in the governance of Scottish Rugby.
Having said all that, I understand why you and others might find both issues tedious. And while I still believe that we should raise these matters when we think it is appropriate, the fact that you have articulated your view in a reasonable manner will inevitably lead to me considering how I approach these issues in future.
Keep up your holding the SRU to account David and ignore those peddling conspiracy theories like the very well named septic.
what is rather sad is the bit about undisclosed contract length. A good journalist would know that the trend to not disclose contract lengths is not confined to SRU. Leicester, Gloucester, Bristol Bath just for starters have not disclosed contract lengths for players over the last while. Perhaps some serious investigation and reporting as to why this change is happening, rather than a puerile attempt at mud slinging would benefit everyone
Thanks for continuing to support our website with your page clicks.
no worries. Thanks for the detailed and reasoned response.
In the past I made a donation to your website, it was a much needed and much welcomed site. But the continued vendetta reporting is now beyond the pale and attracts Trump like conspiracy theorists, so the odd click is as much as I’ll contribute for now
There is usually plenty to genuinely criticise Scottish rugby and those who run it without the petty shoehorning in nonsense
You can and should be better than that.
An informed reader would know many clubs do disclose contract lengths. Perhaps some serious reading and understanding would help you understaad this rather than a puerile attempt at mud slinging.
failure to understand – or want to – that this is changing all over seems to be a difficult concept for some
Septic+9,
Hadn’t realised that you expected a ‘detailed and reasoned’ response to your initial comment which called me ‘sad’ and ‘puerile’.
I find it quite amusing that someone posting anonymously using hostile language expects me to take time out of my day to justify myself, but seeing as you made a donation a number of years ago, how about I give you that ‘detailed and reasoned’ response you are looking for?
1. I know exactly why the two pro teams have stopped divulging contract length, having discussed it at length with Murrayfield’s head of media.
2. I don’t accept that keeping contract lengths secret will stop players being approached by other clubs – it is nonsense to suggest that any agent worth his salt won’t have his client on the market as he reaches the end of his current deal.
3. In my view, the whole thing feeds into a bigger narrative which is a determined drive in Scottish Rugby to limit as much as possible access to all information related to the running of the game in this country.
4. An example of this is the smoke and mirrors related to how the Scottish Government’s £20m Covid-relief payment for Scottish Rugby is being handled.
5. There are countless other examples I could point out to you, but suspect I would be wasting my time.
6. My sincerely held view is that this culture of secrecy is short-changing Scotland’s rugby clubs (the ultimate stakeholders in Scottish Rugby) and the game’s fans.
7. This lack of transparency is a particular concern at a pivotal moment in the domestic, national and international game.
8. My job is to push back against this. Journalists deal in information and should be instinctively opposed to any restrictions on this.
9. In this instance, I would expect any reader to want to know the contract length, and so I feel justified in explaining why this info is not available.
10. If you find criticism of Scottish Rugby so offensive, it will be better for your own stress levels if you stick to the various websites, fans forums and blogs which mirror your own deeply held views.
11. It really isn’t relevant whether some clubs/unions elsewhere divulge contract lengths or not, although you will notice that the IRFU did give that level of detail with their recent spate of re-signings.
@ David Barnes
tks for the reply,
Is what the SRU media head told you the same as they have put out in public?
FWIW I agree that agents will know when contracts are up and players will want agents to put their CV around, so the idea that not publishing contract lengths will make any difference is rather optimistic shall we say! And yes players will still be approached (which is a different matter for WR to address) while in contract.
But as I said, and you have not picked up, the same is being seen elsewhere. Are all these clubs the same secretive cultures narrative or is there something else afoot? Saying ah but the IRFU gave details of a contract really isn’t an argument any more than saying ah but many English clubs now do not. It seems to be a trend, why?
I also agree that fans will want to know the duration of contracts. I do. But I’m less sure I have any right to know. Perhaps a balanced article on that is worth a go.
And my stress levels are fine tks. But I do find it sad that what was very good site is being consumed as a conspiracy theorists haven, driven by you. That is the reputation ToL is growing. If you are happy that that maximises clicks and donations, good luck to you. Have a chat among your other journalist contributers, who by and large take a very different, more balanced tack, see what they think.
Cheers
Failure to understand – or want to – that other people have opinions you don’t agree with seems to be a difficult concept for some.
Yes David we get it, you do not need to throw your toys out the pram every-time an undisclosed contract length is announced.
Lambert is showing huge potential for such a young aged prop, can see him in the Scotland set-up post WC for the next decade if he keeps this up.
I see no sign of toys leaving prams just a journalist reporting what has happened.
tragic
What’s tragic about Glasgow signing a young Scottish prop?
And another one, it is laughable.
Another what? What’s laughable?
What’s laughable about this, he has played really well in his first few games?