'They want more Scottish players' - Venter sorry to leave Glasgow

URC semi-final: Leinster v Glasgow Warriors

When: Saturday, 7 June Where: Aviva Stadium, Dublin Kick-off: 14:45 BST

Coverage: Listen unrecorded connected BBC Radio Scotland, pinch matter updates connected BBC Sport website & app

Henco Venter is reluctantly leaving Glasgow Warriors and says it felt "bad" to beryllium told his departure is down to a Scottish Rugby directive to person less overseas players successful master nine squads.

The South African back-row was fixed an affectional farewell by Warriors fans after a 36-18 triumph complete Stormers group up Saturday's United Rugby Championship semi-final distant to Leinster.

The 33-year-old has agreed to subordinate French nine Brive but admits he would alternatively beryllium extending his two-year enactment astatine Scotstoun.

Head coach Franco Smith has besides made it clear he would person chosen to support his compatriot on, saying successful April: "If it was up to me, decidedly he would stay."

Asked astir his impending exit, Venter replied: "It's a tricky question. It's besides from supra and each nan worldly going connected successful Scotland regarding overseas players. That's fundamentally 1 of nan main reasons.

"I emotion this spot and I'd emotion to stay, but... time off it there!

"They want much Scottish players and I understand that's their scheme going guardant and I respect that. I'm not Scottish, truthful it's a privilege to beryllium present and springiness backmost to nan nine and nan country.

"If they make their plans and person a will to make Scottish rugby better, I dream they win successful it."

There is nary artifact connected overseas signings astatine Scotland's 2 URC clubs, and recruitment remains connected a case-by-case basis, pinch Australia-born England headdress Piers O'Conor 1 specified example, pinch nan backmost joining Edinburgh from Connaught for adjacent season.

However, nan guidance of recreation is for less non-Scottish qualified players and much homegrown talent.

On being told of nan determination to fto him go, Venter added: "It's bad and I didn't for illustration it, but it's rugby and you don't return thing personally.

"Through galore years successful this game, you study to judge worldly and conscionable beryllium amended wherever you tin beryllium amended and execute wherever you tin execute and bask each moment. So I'll bask this week and hopefully adjacent week."

That reference is to nan daunting task of having to hit Leinster astatine nan Aviva Stadium to prolong Warriors' title defence.

Regardless of nan outcome, Venter says he cherishes his clip successful Glasgow.

"This spot is special, not conscionable for maine but for my woman and our daughter," he explained. "It's conscionable been an astonishing travel for us."

Despite April's 52-0 hammering successful Dublin, Venter thinks his Warriors team-mates are tin of pulling disconnected what would beryllium seen arsenic a daze triumph against nan Irish giants successful their ain backyard.

"We are successful it to triumph it, but you're not ever successful a squad that has nan imaginable to win," he said.

"Here, we do. We guidelines a chance, always. If nan guys judge successful our chance to triumph past it's conscionable magical to play successful a squad for illustration that."