Glasgow Warriors: Clubs will be interested in my players - Gregor Townsend

Gregor Townsend will leave Glasgow to become Scotland head coach next summer

Gregor Townsend accepts recent big performances from his side could lead to some Glasgow players attracting interest from richer clubs.

Warriors face Edinburgh in the Pro12 on Boxing Day following back to back European victories over Racing 92.

"With the amount of really good players coming through they're not going to stay at two teams [Glasgow or Edinburgh]," Townsend said.

"They are going to end up playing elsewhere."

Townsend is philosophical on the prospect of clubs with greater financial resources coming after his players, having lost Fiji lock Leone Nakarawa to Racing in the summer.

"It would not be a new experience for us," the Glasgow head coach said.

"These things happen. If our players show they can perform at the best level then they earn the right to not only gain international recognition but maybe get better contracts here. So that is a challenge we always have, and also other clubs will be interested in them.

"We had that last year with Leone but it is a good position to be in that we are taking on the best in Europe and our players are showing what they can do."

Nakarawa played for Racing against his old team last week

Townsend will leave Scotstoun at the end of the season to replace Vern Cotter as Scotland head coach, and he admits some of the established Warriors stars may be tempted to move on as well.

"Just now we have a majority of players playing within Scotland," added Townsend. "We as a club had 14 involved in the last Scotland team, and then you add the Edinburgh players. There are not a huge amount playing out with Scotland.

"If it is right for the player because he can still improve and play really well for his country then it is not a bad thing [to move to a club outside Scotland].

"But just now we certainly want to keep our best players and a lot of them are Scottish qualified with Stuart Hogg re-signing, Henry Pyrgos re-signing, Adam Ashe re-singing. That's great for us that those really good Scottish players are signing for the future."