Sione Tuipulotu: I backed myself – but never thought I’d be Scotland captain

Tuipulotu on his journey so far to become Scotland captain

Glasgow prop Sione Tuipulotu says he never imagined he would captain Scotland when he first arrived in the country 10 years ago.

The 31-year-old will lead his country out against England at Twickenham on Saturday, having taken over the captaincy from Stuart Hogg.

Tuipulotu, who qualified for Scotland on residency in 2021, says he is honoured to have been given the role.

Tuipulotu was born in New Zealand but moved to Scotland in 2013 to play for Glasgow Warriors.

He made his Scotland debut in 2021 and has since won 11 caps.

Tuipulotu says he has always believed in his own ability, but never thought he would be good enough to captain his country.

"I never thought I'd be captain of Scotland," he said.

"I just wanted to come over here and play some rugby. I backed myself, but I never thought I'd be captain."

Tuipulotu says he is now focused on leading Scotland to success in the Six Nations.

"I'm really excited about the opportunity," he said.

"I'm going to give it my all and hopefully we can have a successful Six Nations."