Hugh Blake
Glasgow Warriors player Hugh Blake is returning to New Zealand to play for Bay of Plenty Steamers in the upcoming Mitre 10 Cup.
He’s joined the Steamers on loan until the end of October.
Hugh initially joined up with Glasgow on loan from Edinburgh during the 2014 / 2015 campaign but signed up permanently at Scotstoun last season.
He played a number of games for Warriors at the start of the 2015 / 2016 campaign but spent most of the season with the Scotland Sevens squad. He was part of the squad that won Scotland’s first World Sevens title in London.
Prior to his move to Scotland, Hugh represented New Zealand at the Under 20 level while he has also played for Otago.
Hugh Blake:
- Position: Back-row
- Date of Birth: 10/09/1992
- Place of birth: Tauranga
- Height: 1.87m
- Weight: 102kg
Hugh Patrick Blake kicked off his rugby career aged 11 for Pirongia RC in Waikato, played through the age grades, and onto the IRB Junior World Cup in South Africa.
With Otago since 2011, he was also part of the Highlanders squad in 2013. Both his grandparents are Scottish – one from Glasgow and one from Edinburgh – and he still has family in the city.
Joining Edinburgh in December 2014, Blake was named in the Scotland RBS 6 Nations squad in January 2015. He has now moved along the M8 where he will play for the Guinness PRO12 champions, Glasgow Warriors, in season 2015 / 2016.
Having been involved with the senior Scotland squad during the 2015 RBS 6 Nations, Blake was called into the Scotland 7s team for the final leg of the 2014 / 2015 HSBC Sevens World Series at Twickenham, later that year, where he made his debut in a Scotland jersey.
Blake’s first start for Scotland 7s came that weekend against Brazil, in the group stages. He then followed that up with his debut try against Kenya, the same afternoon.
Following impressive displays in the final leg of the 2014/15 World Series, Blake continued with the 7s squad the following season, playing in all ten of the circuit’s tournaments.
Blake was a member of the first Scotland 7s squad to lift a World Series tournament Cup, when his side defeated South Africa, 27 / 26, at Twickenham to claim the coveted London 7s title.
He joined Edinburgh on trial in December 2014 and made his first appearance in the A team against Glasgow A, at BT Murrayfield later that month. He was named in the Scotland RBS 6 Nations squad in January 2015.
He made his Edinburgh debut against Ospreys at Myreside in February 2015, before joining the Warriors in March on loan.
The move was made permanent in August 2015 when he signed a 2-year deal.