Gary Strain
{{Short description|Scottish rugby union player}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{BLP sources|date=February 2021}}
{{update|date=February 2021}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = Gary Strain
| image =
| birth_name = Gary Strain
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1988|04|19|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Motherwell, Scotland
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=11}}
| position = Loosehead Prop
| repteam1 = Scotland U18
| repteam2 = Scotland U19
| repteam3 = Scotland U20
| repteam4 = Scotland Club XV
| repcaps1 =
| reppoints1 =
| repyears1 =
| repyears2 =
| repyears3 =
| repyears4 = 2017
| years1 = 2008
| years2 = 2011-13
| years3 = 2013-14
| years4 = 2015, 2017
| clubs1 = Glasgow Warriors
| clubs2 = Massy
| clubs3 = Newcastle Falcons
| clubs4 = Glasgow Warriors
| apps1 =
| apps2 = 50
| apps3 = 12
| points1 =
| points2 = 5
| points3 = 0
| ru_clubupdate = 17 July 2015
| amatyears1 = 2004-07
| amatyears2 = 2007-11, 2014-present
| amatapps1 = 36
| amatpoints1 = 25
| amatteam1 = Dalziel
| amatteam2 = Glasgow Hawks
| ru_amupdate =
| coachyears1 = 2014-present{{when|date=February 2021}}
| coachteams1 = Glasgow Hawks (development officer)
| school = Dalziel High School
| university = Strathclyde University
| ru_ntupdate = 17 July 2015
}}
Gary Strain (born 19 April 1988 in Motherwell,{{cite web|url=http://official.sportnetwork.net/main/s604/st117487.htm|title=Player profiles|date=28 July 2010|publisher=Carluke Tigers RLFC}} Scotland) is a Scottish rugby union player at the loosehead prop position.. He previously played for Glasgow Warriors and Newcastle Falcons.
Rugby Union career
=Amateur career=
Strain started playing amateur rugby with Dalziel Rugby Club in 2004.{{cite web|url=http://www.dalzielrugby.com/?mod=stats&profile=321|title=Statistics - Gary Strain|publisher=Dalziel Rugby Club|access-date=17 July 2015|archive-date=21 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721183415/http://www.dalzielrugby.com/?mod=stats&profile=321|url-status=dead}} He played with them until 2007 appearing 36 times and scoring 25 points (5 tries).{{cite web|url=http://www.dalzielrugby.com/?mod=squad&profile=321|title=Gary Strain|publisher=Dalziel Rugby Club|access-date=17 July 2015|archive-date=21 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721190456/http://www.dalzielrugby.com/?mod=squad&profile=321|url-status=dead}}
Moving to the Glasgow Hawks for the season 2007-08, Strain won the Scottish Shield with them in 2009.{{cite news|url=http://www.dalzielrugby.com/?mod=news&news=1394|title=Dalziel Rugby Club - Strain Soars with Newcastle|publisher=Dalziel Rugby Club|access-date=17 July 2015|archive-date=21 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721171039/http://www.dalzielrugby.com/?mod=news&news=1394|url-status=dead}} He played for the Hawks for four years before moving to the French side Massy.
=Professional career=
At the start of the 2008-09 season, he was called up to the Glasgow Warriors squad for a pre-season game against Bristol Rugby on 22 August 2008 and came on as a substitute in the match.{{cite web|url=http://www.glasgowwarriors.com/articles/match/005070.php|date=23 August 2008|title=Glasgow Warriors 12 - 15 Bristol|website=Glasgow Warriors Unofficial Fansite}}
Massy was initially playing in the Fédérale 1 league in France, its highest amateur league. In 2012, it secured promotion to the French second-tier professional league, the Pro D2, for the first time.
Strain was then picked up by the Newcastle Falcons in 2013.{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/rugby/latest/scottish-prop-strain-to-make-aviva-premiership-bow-1-3078909|title=Scottish prop Strain to make Aviva Premiership bow|author=Gary Heatley|date=6 September 2013|work=The Scotsman}} and played 12 times for them in the 2013-14 season.
Returning to Scotland, Strain had a one-month training contract with Glasgow Warriors{{cite web|url=http://www.glasgowwarriors.com/articles/player/008367.php|title=Gary Strain|website=Glasgow Warriors Unofficial Fansite}} and represented a Warriors 'A' side against an Edinburgh 'A' side at Stirling.{{cite news|url=http://www.glasgowwarriors.org/news/14/09/21/kellock-will-lead-team-against-edinburgh|title=Kellock will lead 'A' team against Edinburgh|publisher=Glasgow Warriors|access-date=17 July 2015|archive-date=21 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721095222/http://www.glasgowwarriors.org/news/14/09/21/kellock-will-lead-team-against-edinburgh|url-status=dead}}
On 17 July 2015, it was announced that he had secured a short-term professional contract with Glasgow Warriors to provide depth and competition for places during the 2015 World Cup when the Warriors would lose a number of their top stars on Scotland duty.{{cite web|url=http://www.glasgowwarriors.org/news/15/07/17/four-players-signed-ahead-new-campaign|title=Four players signed ahead of new campaign|publisher=Glasgow Warriors|access-date=17 July 2015|archive-date=21 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721043634/http://www.glasgowwarriors.org/news/15/07/17/four-players-signed-ahead-new-campaign|url-status=dead}} The contract allowed Strain to play and coach at Glasgow Hawks when not involved with the Warriors team.
After a break, Strain was again picked for Glasgow Warriors for the 2017-18 friendly match against Dragons at Ebbw Vale.{{cite web|url=http://www.glasgowwarriors.org/news/17/08/24/jackson-returns-face-dragons|title=Jackson returns to face Dragons|date=24 August 2017|accessdate=14 July 2018|publisher=Glasgow Warriors|archive-date=15 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715040336/http://www.glasgowwarriors.org/news/17/08/24/jackson-returns-face-dragons|url-status=dead}}
=International career=
Strain was capped by the international squad for the under 18s,{{cite web|url=http://en.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/story/61715.html|title=55 players selected for Scotland U-18|work=ESPN scrum|date=15 December 2005}} under 19s{{cite web|url=http://www.edinburghrugby.org/news/07/01/30/under-19-preparation-squad-selected|title=Under-19 Preparation Squad Selected|work=The Clubhouse|access-date=17 July 2015|archive-date=22 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722043724/http://www.edinburghrugby.org/news/07/01/30/under-19-preparation-squad-selected|url-status=dead}} and under 20s for Scotland.{{cite news|url=http://www.motherwelltimes.co.uk/sport/local-sport/gary-s-living-the-dream-in-premiership-1-3115918|title=Gary's living the dream in Premiership|work=The Motherwell Times}} {{dead link|date=February 2021}} He went on to be capped for Scotland Club XV.
=Coaching career=
He moved back to Glasgow Hawks in a player/development role and became the Hawks' club development officer in November 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.glasgowhawks.com/news/gary-strain-appointed-as-club-development-officer-1324360.html|title=Gary Strain appointed as Club Development Officer|author=Hugh Barrow|date=5 November 2014|publisher=Glasgow Hawks}} In this role, he promoted rugby in various schools including Glasgow Academy, High School of Glasgow, Kelvinside Academy, Drumchapel High School, Saint Thomas Aquinas Secondary and Knightswood Secondary.{{cite web|url=http://westendreport.com/strain-lands-key-development-role-hawks/|title=Strain lands key development role for Hawks|work=West End Report|access-date=17 July 2015|archive-date=21 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721192327/http://westendreport.com/strain-lands-key-development-role-hawks/|url-status=dead}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.glasgowwarriors.org/news/15/07/17/four-players-signed-ahead-new-campaign "Four players signed ahead of new campaign"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721043634/http://www.glasgowwarriors.org/news/15/07/17/four-players-signed-ahead-new-campaign |date=21 July 2015 }}, Glasgow Warriors
{{DEFAULTSORT:Strain, Gary}}
Category:Alumni of the University of Strathclyde
Category:Glasgow Hawks players
Category:Glasgow Warriors players
Category:Newcastle Falcons players
Category:People educated at Dalziel High School
Category:Rugby union players from Motherwell
Category:Scotland Club XV international rugby union players
Category:Scottish rugby union coaches