Jan 11 2012 by Kenny Smith, Rutherglen Reformer

CAMBUSLANG man Duncan Weir has been given his first Scotland rugby call-up - at the tender age of 20.

The former Cathkin High School pupil was last week handed a place in Andy Robinson’s squad, as one of six uncapped players in a 36-player strong squad announced for the opening rounds of the Six Nations Championship

Duncan played rugby for his school and the Cambuslang Rugby Club youth sections, and made his breakthrough to the first XV in 2007, kicking his first points for the side away to Preston Lodge.

He quickly established himself as a talent to watch, particularly after scoring a try that saw him virtually run the length of the park against Dalziel, beating off the challenge of several players, before scoring.

Duncan was soon called into the under-17 national squad, and in 2008 he was selected for Scottish rugby’s national academy, earmarking him as one for the future.

After recovering from a serious knee injury which saw him miss the whole 2008-09 season, he moved to Glasgow Hawks in the summer and also received a call-up to the Scotland 7s squad, alongside fellow Cambuslang man Scott Forrest.

Then in March 2010 it was announced Duncan would be signing for Glasgow Warriors as a professional.

Since making his debut, the number 10 has gone on to impress with his intelligent play and outstanding kicking ability.

In October this year, he equalled the RaboDirect Pro12 record for the most penalty goals in one rugby game, scoring all of the points in a 24-19 win over Newport Gwent Dragons.

Speaking to the Reformer last autum, Duncan revealed his dream was to receive a call-up to the national squad, and coach Andy Robinson made it come true last week by naming the Cambuslang man in his squad to face England in the first game of the RBS 6 Nations on February 4 and Wales on February 12.

Speaking exclusively to the Reformer, modest Duncan said: “I’ve had a decent wee run and I’m chuffed to bits to get selected in the squad.

“Everything has gone amazingly - with the Scotland under-20s and the 7s team, and going to the Junior World Cup, getting the professional contract with Glasgow, and having an alright first season despite having a bad injury throughout.

“But this season has been really good. It’s been good to get some more game time, and that’s helped me become more comfortable.”

Duncan has shown his form thanks to an extended run in the Warriors team, due to Ruaraidh Jackson’s involvement with the World Cup which saw him miss part of the season, and allowed the Cambuslang man to slot in and take his place.

Duncan said: “The messages and texts I’ve had, and people getting in touch through Facebook, has been amazing. It gives you a real kick to know that there’s so many people wanting you to do well.

“People I’ve not spoken to since leaving school have been in touch, so it’s nice to see the hard work has been beneficial.

“We’ve got some training camps coming up so I’ll have to knuckle down, listen to what the coaches are saying, and try to do what they want.

“After speaking to Gregor Townsend, he said a lot of the play will come through the number 10 channel, so I’ll be listening to the coaches so I can nail it on the head and do what they want me to do.”

But Duncan - always a player to keep his feet on the ground - knows that he won’t be an automatic first choice for the team despite his impressive for this season.

He said: “I would love to get on and play, but there’s Ruaridh Jackson and Dan Parks in there, who are both experienced number 10s, but if the chance comes, I would love to take it.”

This article was originally posted on 12-Jan-2012, 08:52 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 12-Jan-2012, 11:36.