‘Warrior’ Henco Venter departing Glasgow reluctantly after two stellar seasons for the Scottish URC champions

South African Henco Venter, who has been a standout acquisition for the defending United Rugby Championship (URC) winners, the Glasgow Warriors, for the last couple of seasons, might play his final game for the team this coming weekend.

They face Leinster in Dublin in the semi-finals on Saturday afternoon and depending on the result, it could be the swansong for the Free State native. He recently returned to the side following a ban and immediately made his impact felt, playing 72-odd minutes against the Stormers in the URC quarters.

He terrorised his compatriots and spearheaded the Glasgow defence and breakdown play to help them to a comfortable 36-18 victory. He’s been a thorn in the side of the Stormers, especially in the tournament, and seemed to always lift his game when facing the men from the Cape.

In last season’s final against the Bulls, Venter also made a telling impact to help his side lift the URC title against the odds at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.

Now, he is on the cusp of exiting the side that became his second home since leaving South Africa, and ahead of a move to French Pro D2 club Brive, he is poised to put his best foot forward. According to Venter, after a directive from higher-ups in Scottish rugby, the Warriors must focus on young talent and not foreign soldiers from next season.

Despite being forced to leave, Venter told BBC Sport he loved his time in Glasgow and would’ve liked to extend his stay after two seasons there.

“It’s a tricky question,” he said after being quizzed about leaving.

“It’s also from above and all the stuff going on in Scotland regarding foreign players. That’s basically one of the main reasons. I love this place, and I'd love to stay, but... (let’s) leave it there.

“They want more Scottish players, and I understand that is their plan going forward and I respect that. I am not Scottish, so it’s a privilege to be here and give back to the club and the country. If they make their plans and have a will to make Scottish rugby better, I hope they succeed in it.”

The 33-year-old played for the Cheetahs before venturing overseas to Japan for a season. He returned and played for the Sharks in an unsuccessful spell before signing for Glasgow. Last season, he was one of the standout campaigners during their title-winning run. He has been more than a handy replacement when the Scotland players have been in camp during the Six Nations and that experience is what they will likely miss going forward.

Venter, however, is looking forward to playing another big role this weekend when they take on Leinster in the semi-finals. He is also hopeful there will be a title-defending match after this weekend’s duel at the Aviva Stadium.

“This place is special, not just for me but for my wife and our daughter. It’s just been an amazing journey for us.

“It’s bad and I didn’t like it,” he added about the moment he learnt they won’t be staying in Glasgow.

“However, it’s rugby and you don't take anything personally. Through many years in this game, you learn to accept stuff and just be better where you can be better and perform where you can perform and enjoy every moment. So, I’ll enjoy this week and hopefully next week.”