FAMILY GUY! Zander Fagerson has just celebrated the most 'awesome' season of his life after winning the URC title alongside brother Matt ... and discovering wife Yasmine is expecting twins!
IT’S nine o’clock in the morning and Zander Fagerson is grinning broadly. He’s recently won the United Rugby Championship with Glasgow Warriors, he’s taken on a new ambassadorial role with a charity close to his heart, and a long summer break awaits.
Add to that the news of some forthcoming additions to his family, and Iife looks pretty good right now for the Scotland prop, wife Yasmine and their children Hamish and Iona.
‘We’ve having twins at the end of the year,’ revealed 28-year-old Fagerson.
‘It was a bit of a shock when I first found out, but now I’m just very excited. We told everyone at a gender reveal party - as well as the kids - so everyone is absolutely buzzing.
‘I was actually in South Africa with Glasgow during the league season when I found out it was twins, and it caught me a little off guard. However, after 24 hours, you get your head around it. I come from a big family myself ... I’m one of five, so I think I always wanted a big family.
‘Hamish and Iona were completely shocked when we first told them. Then when they found out there were two babies in there, they couldn’t believe it, so they’ve gone straight to nursery telling everyone. They keep telling my wife: “There are two babies in there, there are two babies in there”, they are so excited. The kids are at a good age, and the new babies will have ready-made best mates. There are more kids to play with them now in the garden, so they’re all looking forward to it. It just means a bigger car and a few more car seats. The more the merrier.’
Zander Fagerson and his wife Jasmine announced they were expecting twins earlier his month
Zander Fagerson lifts the URC trophy after Glasgow Warriors stunned the Bulls in South Africa
The Fagerson brothers, Zander and Matt, have played together with both club and country
Fagerson is a family man to the core. Young brother Matt - currently away with Scotland on their summer tour while Zander is rested - plays a large part in that dynamic.
The siblings have played rugby together since their school days, coming through the ranks at the High School of Dundee and Strathallan, before progressing to the Warriors.
Helping Glasgow capture the URC Championship title last month - beating the Bulls on their home turf in Pretoria - was the icing on the cake.
Victory sealed years of hard work and endurance after the crushing disappointment of defeats in the PRO14 final against Leinster in 2019 and Toulon in the Challenge Cup final last year.
‘It’s up there as one of the best moments of my life,’ admitted Fagerson.
‘To do it with my brother there was particularly special. You don’t often get the chance to do that, let alone in a final. We’ve been very lucky in that we’ve had three opportunities in finals and to do it on the third was very special, absolutely awesome. It was an important day for the whole family. One day when Matt and I are old and grey and have about 40 kids between us, we’ll be able to look back on that and smile.’
Zander Fagerson played a key role as the Scotland prop helped Glasgow to URC glory
The final itself will go down in the annals of Scottish rugby history; an epic encounter against the South African side in front of 50,000 partisan fans which saw Franco Smith’s men come from 13-0 down to clinch a 21-16 victory.
‘It was awesome,’ said Fagerson. ‘A lot of tears and hard work went into that one. I joined Warriors in 2014-15 and, in my first year, the club won the league. It was amazing to be part of the club then and be with the guys to lift the trophy. Not winning the title at the PRO14 final in 2019 at Celtic Park was a tough one and will haunt me for a while. So to finally do it, and to do it away from home, was really special. It’s something that will live long in my memory. ‘
Nothing, it seems, was going to stop the Class of 2024 from emulating their counterparts who won the league in 2015.
‘We have a massive mural in the stadium at Scotstoun of one of the winning moments from 2014-15,’ said Fagerson.
‘As a rugby player, you play the game because you love it and because it’s a privilege to do a job that you love, every single day. However, if you’re being honest, you want to win something, you know? Being so close in 2019, and then being so close last year as well, to finally get the job done and to win the thing, and to have the winners medal, is really special.’
Fagerson, alongside golfer Callum Hill and team-mates Richie Gray and Duncan Weir, at the Scottish Open pro-am earlier this week
The mastermind, of course, has been South African head coach Smith.
‘Franco has been great for us,’ said Fagerson. ‘He’s brought back this hard edge. We’re not a team of superstars, we’re just a team of grafters who have to work really hard for each other. He’s brought that in, and the boys have really bought into it. The season was a culmination of that.
‘The Championship run was a 23-man effort, and everyone contributed in all three games of the knockout stages. There was nobody who was just a passenger, which makes it really special.
‘We were 13-0 down and our confidence was never really rocked. We just kept playing and playing and, when Scott Cummings scored that try just before half time, we came in and there was definitely a spring in our step. We’re thinking: “Let’s get the game on”.
‘Bulls are a very good team and they flexed their muscles for large parts of that game, which makes it even sweeter to come away with the win - especially away from home, in front of all these people. It was the closest thing to international rugby you’re going to get - especially with their physicality as well. It was awesome to celebrate with the Glasgow fans who had made the trip over.’
It seems Fagerson hasn’t stopped smiling since returning home from that incredible trip to Pretoria. A new role as ambassador for charity Hearts and Balls has given him an additional boost. The organisation prides itself on helping players struggling with life-changing injuries.
‘A charity that helps players when times are tough or things haven’t gone so well, will always be a charity close to my heart,’ said Fagerson.
‘I had a personal relationship with Jim Taylor, who was key to the development of the Trust’s work. He made such an impact on other people’s lives and, when he was at Warriors, he always looked out for me. He was just a great man, and I’m doing this in his memory - to give back as much as I can.
‘Rugby is a dangerous sport, and things can go wrong. When you speak about spines in particular, especially being a front row, it can be pretty scary. Accidents can happen to anyone and, when they do, there are often lots of questions you want to ask and have answered.
‘Jim being at the forefront of the charity helped, as he had that experience. With rugby, there are always going to be injuries, but it’s about the aftercare as well, checking in on people and making sure they’re okay.’
Fagerson will look to conduct charity work around his rugby commitments - which kick off again with Scotland in the autumn. He says competition for places will be tight as more depth is added to the squad this summer.
‘I’ve just been thinking about this weekend and guys like Arron Reed, Max Williamson and Will Hurd,’ he said after Scots started their tour of North and South America with victory over Canada. ‘We’ve got a lot of young players coming through - and that’s been shown by the number in the tour squad, so it’s a really exciting time to be a Scotland player. There’s a lot of competition for places and that will bring out the best in us. We’re in a good spot and I’m looking forward to being involved in November in the autumn internationals.’
Fagerson has plenty of time to enjoy the moment, and the prospect of those twins on the horizon, before the next tranche of internationals begins in earnest.
For more info, see www.heartsandballs.org.uk
