Ryan Grant (born 8 October 1985) is a

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

coach, the co-owner of a gin business and a former

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

international

player. He became the head coach of Glasgow Academicals in 2020. Grant was educated at the Alice Smith School in

Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

. He was an Area System Operator with the

Royal Corps of Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communications an ...

of the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

from 2002 to 2005.

Rugby Union career

Amateur

Grant played rugby for the

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

before making the grade at professional level. In 2016, Grant turned out for

Currie Currie is a village and suburb on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland, situated south west of the city centre. Formerly within the County of Midlothian, it now falls within the jurisdiction of the City of Edinburgh Council. It is situated be ...

in the

Scottish Premiership The Scottish Premiership, also known as the William Hill (bookmaker), William Hill Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Scotland and the highest level of the Scottish football league system. Th ...

. In the 2017–18 season, he played with Ayr.

Professional

Weighing for he played

prop A prop, formally known as a (theatrical) property, is an object actors use on stage or screen during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinct ...

for the provincial side

Glasgow Warriors The Glasgow Warriors are a professional rugby union side from Scotland. The team plays in the United Rugby Championship league and in the European Professional Club Rugby tournaments. In the 2014–15 season they won the Pro12 title and beca ...

from 2010, becoming Glasgow Warrior No. 186. He previously played for the Scottish professional sides

Border Reivers Border Reivers were Cattle raiding, raiders along the Anglo-Scottish border. They included both Scotland, Scottish and England, English people, and they raided the entire border country without regard to their victims' nationality.Hay, D. "E ...

and

Edinburgh Rugby Edinburgh Rugby (formerly Edinburgh Reivers, Edinburgh Gunners) is one of the two professional rugby union teams from Scotland. The club competes in the United Rugby Championship, along with the Glasgow Warriors, its oldest rival. Edinburgh play ...

making him one of a few players to have played for three of Scotland's professional teams. He was named in the Pro12 Dream Team at the end of the 2012/13 season. On 25 January 2017, it was announced that Grant had joined

Worcester Warriors Worcester Warriors are a professional rugby union club based in Worcester, England. They most recently played in Premiership Rugby, the top division of English rugby union, before being suspended by the Rugby Football Union, RFU in September 2 ...

with immediate effect. At the start of the 2017–18 season, Grant was back in Scotland, this time with

again. He trained with Edinburgh and played in their August match against

Newcastle Falcons Newcastle Falcons is a rugby union team that play in Premiership Rugby, England's highest division of rugby union. The club was established in 1877 as the Gosforth Football Club. Around 1882 the club merged with the Northumberland Football Cl ...

at The Greenyards. Grant was not there long, and joined Edinburgh's

1872 Cup The 1872 Cup – also known as the 1872 Challenge Cup – is a men's rugby union tournament contested every year between the two Scottish professional clubs, Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby. Under the current format, Glasgow Warriors and Ed ...

rivals instead. On 28 September 2017, he joined Glasgow Warriors again on a short-term deal.

International career

Grant made his debut in the first test of the 2012 summer tour, starting against at the Hunter Stadium in New South Wales. He continued to start in the further two wins over and . On 7 June 2013, Grant was called up for the British & Irish Lions to cover for the injured

Gethin Jenkins Gethin Jenkins (born 17 November 1980) is a Welsh former professional rugby union player who played as a prop for Pontypridd, Celtic Warriors, Cardiff Blues and Toulon. At international level, he won 129 caps for Wales. On his 105th appearance ...

Coaching career

It was announced on 8 May 2019 that Grant would be a coach for Glasgow Academicals for the 2019–20 season. When the head coach Andy Jackson stood down in 2020, Grant was promoted to head coach of the club.

Business career

Grant co-owns his own organic gin production company, The Garden Shed Drinks Company, which he runs with his fellow ex-Glasgow Warrior, Ruaridh Jackson.

References

External links

* 1985 births Living people 20th-century British Army personnel Ayr RFC players Border Reivers players British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Scotland Combined Services rugby union players Currie RFC players Edinburgh Rugby players Glasgow Warriors players Royal Corps of Signals soldiers Rugby union players from Kirkcaldy Rugby union props Scotland A international rugby union players Scotland international rugby union players Scottish rugby union coaches Scottish rugby union players Worcester Warriors players 2015 Rugby World Cup players {{Scotland-rugbyunion-bio-1980s-stub