New Zealand-born Sean Maitland insists he will be as proud as any of his team-mates when he makes his Scotland debut against England in the RBS 6 Nations this Saturday.
The Glasgow Warriors wing was born in Tokoroa and played in New Zealand for Canterbury and the Crusaders until moving to the RaboDirect PRO12 outfit at the start of the current season.
The 24-year-old qualifies for selection because of his Glaswegian grandparents – who emigrated Down Under in the 1960s – leading to Scotland’s interim head coach Scott Johnson naming him in the starting XV for the Calcutta Cup clash at Twickenham.
And Maitland, the only uncapped player in Johnson’s squad, admits it is a dream come true to get the opportunity to represent the country of his ancestors.
“I’m very proud to be given the opportunity to start by Johnno – it’s very special and I’m very proud,” he said.
“My parents are happy for me too. They are very proud and talking to my dad, he’s a man of little emotion, but he definitely showed a lot of emotion when I told him the news.
“When I was growing up he never let me forget where I was from. He would always say, ‘you’re half Scottish, son, don’t you forget that’.
“I have fond memories of being woken up to watch Scotland play in the old Five Nations at some ridiculous hour in the morning and I never imagined that all these years later I would be about to pull on that jersey.
“When I came over, international rugby was on my radar. My dad said I had the opportunity to play for Scotland, I’m half Scottish and it’s in my blood, so I was very lucky.
“The squad is full of depth and competition; you’ve got to keep on your toes. It’s healthy for Scotland and Scotland rugby. I’ve got to go on through the week with confidence and hopefully I will perform well.”
