Calum Forrester

Amateur career

Forrester attended Hutchesons Grammar School. He has had two years studying sports science at Glasgow University, and is currently on an Open University course. He is a member of Scottish Rugby's National Rugby Academy and has a Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award.

Although he joined Glasgow Warriors in 2006 he continued to play at Glasgow Hutchesons Aloysians RFC for two further seasons before being selected to join Ayr RFC in August 2008.

He was also in the Scottish Thistles squad who won the Melrose club's 125th anniversary sevens in April 2008.

Professional career

In the summer of 2006, Forrester joined as an apprentice for the professional side the Glasgow Warriors.

He made his Celtic League debut as a replacement in the away match against the Cardiff Blues in September that year. Despite, then, being a relatively recent recruit to the first team squad at Glasgow Warriors, Forrester quickly established himself as a fans' favourite due to his work-rate. Speaking about his new recruit, Sean Lineen said, "Calum has been working with us for a while now and I’ve been very impressed with his attitude and ability. He’s been involved with the Scotland 7s team so I’m expecting big things from him and he’ll be a great addition to our Scottish back-row contingent."

International career

Forrester was a member of the Scotland Sevens squad for the Commonwealth Youth Games in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, in December 2004. His seven-a-side experience continued in the 2006–2007 Dubai Sevens, George Sevens, London Sevens, and Edinburgh Sevens tournaments, and after playing for the Rugby Ecosse squad in the Singapore Sevens tournament in October 2007 he continued in the Scotland squad for the 2007 Dubai Sevens and George Sevens tournaments.

Forrester has played also for Scotland under-18, under-19, and under-21. His under-19 debut was as a replacement against France in Blois in February 2005, and he went on make his first start in the match against England at Myreside, Edinburgh, a fortnight later. He subsequently played in all five of Scotland's matches in the 2005 IRB Under 19 World Championship in Durban, South Africa, including another appearance against England.

Forrester played in two of the Scotland under-21 team's warm-up matches in the 2005–2006 season before making his international debut as a replacement against England at Falkirk in February 2006. He then played in the Scotland squad for the IRB sevens tournaments in the Paris Sevens and the London Sevens in May and June 2006. He then joined Scotland's under-21 World Championship squad after the pool stage as a replacement for injured player Johnnie Beattie, playing as a substitute in the 46–14 win against Georgia in Issoire.