Nick Grigg admits missing out on a century of appearances for Glasgow Warriors made departing the club all the more difficult.

The centre arrived from his native New Zealand in 2015 and made played 95 times in Glasgow’s midfield before departing for NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes in December 2021.

Grigg admitted he was disappointed to have left Glasgow without being able to say farewell to the fans at Scotstoun.

"I was pretty gutted when I left. With the medical joker in Japan and Covid, I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to the fans and I didn’t even really get a send-off from the club.

"That was sad because it was probably the highlight of my career.

"Glasgow, and Gregor Townsend, was the first place that gave me the opportunity to play professional rugby and it turned into a second home to me. I was there for seven years, made lifelong friends and just felt like home."

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Grigg qualified for Scotland through his grandfather from Ayrshire and made his international debut against Fiji on the 2017 summer tour. He went on to win nine caps, the last coming in the 38-38 Calcutta Cup classic at Twickenham in 2019.

Reflecting on his international career, Grigg said: “They are the memories you look back on and think ‘bloody hell, it has been awesome’.

"All the games at Murrayfield were amazing. When the crowd sings the anthem, it is next level, and when you are on the bus on the way into the stadium and the fans are all crowded round the stairwell, that is pretty amazing.”

His departure coincided with Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones striking up their revered partnership that has led both to be in British and Irish Lions contention.

Grigg gave his verdict on the aptly named ‘Huwipulotu’ partnership.

“They’re doing really well at the moment,” he said.

Since leaving Glasgow, Grigg has travelled the world, with stints in France and America following the Japanese adventure – sandwiched between outings for Hawke’s Bay Magpies in his homeland, where the former Scotland centre is currently plying his trade and was voted the team's Player of the Season.

The spell in France, with Carcassonne even included a stint wearing the number six jersey, though Grigg is quick to point out he wasn’t forced to play in the back-row. And there was a familiar face waiting for him at the French second division club.

Grigg said: "When I went to France, Rob Harley was already there. It just shows what a small world rugby is that of all the second division clubs, I’ve ended up back playing with Rob who I’d spent years playing with at Glasgow.”

And he explained wearing the number six and eight jerseys during his time in the south of France.

“It was all because I had been signed as a medical joker. We had a couple of injuries in the back-row so I had to wear that [back-row] jersey but played in the centre, and the back-row guy had to get himself into the 12 shirt."

A stint in America saw Grigg turn out for Miami Sharks in Major League Rugby (MLR), and while he admits the rugby was not at the standard he had experienced elsewhere, he enjoyed the experience.

"It was crazy,” he said. “You don’t get paid much, but you get to travel America and it was so much fun. The rugby standard is not the best, but it’s growing.

"But the night life in Miami was next level,” he joked.

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While the centre hasn’t put down roots anywhere since his time at Glasgow, he is enjoying every minute – and every experience – of his eclectic rugby journey.

“I’m getting to travel the world and play rugby, so why not jump at different opportunities,” he said.

If offered the opportunity to return to Scotstoun, Grigg said he would jump at the chance. He admitted to some frustration at not being among the list of Glasgow Warriors centurions.

"My dad reminds me that I should have stayed for five more games, but it came down to the contract in Japan,” Grigg said.

“It’s always there and I would be keen to get to 100 games, but I understand there are a lot of quality centres in Scotland at the moment.”

The 32-year-old insists he is open to any and all future opportunities, wherever in the world they take him.

“I’ve never played in Super Rugby so that would be the dream,” he revealed.

"I’m playing well at the moment so I’m open to anything, even in the UK or back to Europe.

“I am just going to keep playing and see what happens.”