Inside the Glasgow Warriors celebrations: Franco Smith promises whisky and cigars as Kyle Steyn dons goggles

Franco Smith promised whisky and cigars for his Glasgow Warriors squad after they delivered the greatest result in the club’s history to win the BKT United Rugby Championship.

They were huge underdogs going into the final against the Bulls at altitude at Loftus Versfeld but beat the South African side 21-16 at their fabled home, coming back from being 13-0 down in the first half. It’s their second major trophy in the history of the professional club and comes nine years after they won the Guinness Pro12.

Smith, the head coach, said he now planned to make good on a vow he had made to the Glasgow players at the start of his tenure two years ago.

“When I started at Glasgow, one morning at 7am I rolled out whisky for everybody to give them a wee taste of what it would be like to have a dram of whisky on the back of a win. I said: ‘Savour that, keep it in your mind, and one day, as soon as we can win something, we will have an evening when we can have a dram of whisky and a cigar’, and tonight I think these guys merit that.”

The Warriors produced a huge performance to defeat the odds-on favourites who took the lead through two penalties from Johan Goosen and a try by Marco van Staden, converted by Goosen. Glasgow cut the Bulls’ lead just before half-time with a try from Scott Cummings which George Horne converted. They came out firing in the second half and scored further tries through George Turner - in his final game for the club before moving to Japan - and Huw Jones. Horne converted both and although Goosen had kicked a third penalty for the Bulls early in the half, Glasgow produced some heroic defence in the final minutes to hold on for victory with 14 men after stand-off Tom Jordan had been yellow-carded for a high tackle.

“It’s a fantastic feeling, winning is a great feeling,” said Smith. “Maybe my enthusiasm is different to the players but I’m really grateful and thankful. I’m a religious person and really thankful for today and the whole season. Again, we left the field without injury.

“To come here and play a South African team on their home soil in front of 50,000 supporters and still win in the way we did is a special accolade. We’ve come leaps and bounds and the sensation of what we’ve achieved tonight will be an important ingredient going forward.”

Glasgow Warriors' head coach Franco Smith, drenched in champagne, celebrates his side's win over the Vodacom Bulls in the BKT United Rugby Championship Grand Final, at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, South Africa, 22 June 2024. (Photo by Dan Sheridan/INPHO/Shutterstock)

Kyle Steyn, the Glasgow captain, sat wearing a pair of goggles at the post-match press conference, as has become custom for winning teams in cup finals. The winger said they would protect him during the celebrations.

“My dad and my brother are doing the security for us and we’ve been on a couple of ski holidays back home, and the thing I’ve discovered in rugby celebrations is that you need goggles to protect yourself from all the champagne spray, so my brother packed a couple of pairs and when we came off the pitch tonight they were ready and waiting. So, myself and Sione [Tuipulotu] and a couple of boys have got them on.”

• Glasgow Warriors clinch URC title as heroic victory over Bulls makes Scottish rugby history