Glasgow statement: 32 travelling party members became unwell

The entire Glasgow squad have returned home safely to prepare for Friday’s URC match with Benetton after illness wreaked havoc on their two-week trip to South Africa. The club confirmed on Tuesday that 32 members of the travelling party became unwell with a severe gastrointestinal illness during the tour, with last Saturday’s match against Emirates Lions in Johannesburg being postponed after the number of those stricken escalated in the week leading up to it.

A Glasgow statement read: "The club’s medical team have confirmed that 32 members of the traveling party were unwell with severe gastrointestinal illness whilst in South Africa, with numbers escalating in the second week of the tour resulting in the club being unable to safely field a team against the Emirates Lions.

"The symptoms of the illness and transmission behaved like norovirus and this has subsequently been confirmed via medical testing. The club escalated its infection control behaviours immediately after the first illness was identified and sought advice from local and Scottish infection control experts throughout the tour.

"Durban coast is also currently colonised with E.coli following the tragic floods in the region earlier this year and Glasgow Warriors took steps to mitigate exposure. Although present in our sample we await further tests to determine its role in our illness. Preparations have now begun for the club’s upcoming game against Benetton at Scotstoun on Friday, October 28.

"Glasgow Warriors would like to thank everyone who helped us during our time in South Africa, in particular the Sharks medical team and SARU."

With the Lions game unable to go ahead, the only match of the Glasgow URC tour brought a 40-12 defeat against Sharks last Saturday week.