The popular player has been an ever present in the Polish National team, barring injuries, since he made his debut for Poland at the age of 19 against the Czech Republic.

Mateusz only started taking the sport seriously when he was 17 in his home town of Bytom in Silesia. With an echo of the great Welsh rugby tradition this is the heart of the Polish Coal mining industry.

He was talent spotted by the French rugby academy at Albi when he was 18. Mateusz picks up the tale, “I learned a lot in France. I made my professional debut with Albi against Bourgoin. While I was there I was in the team that won the Challenge Vaquerin.”

The “Challenge Vaquerin” is a prestigious pre-season tournament which Bartoszek helped win in 2010. Glasgow Warriors fans will remember their team’s own win in 2008.

Due to the differences in the seasons, Mateusz played for Albi in the winter then turning out over the summer for Arka Gdynia on the Baltic Coast.

In the summer of 2013 a Cumnock born Polish team-mate, Craig Bachurzewski, told him he was going to Scotland to try out with Glasgow Hawks and suggested Mateusz join him, “I thought I’d like to play in a new city and with Glasgow Warriors in the City I saw I had the chance to learn from top Test players.”

A very quick developer Mateusz has represented Poland at Under 17, under 18 and under 20 before becoming a full Internationalist. Poland are currently in in European Rugby’s third tier amongst a series of groups below the Six Nations which have promotion and relegation. “We have a young side at the moment with a lot of players playing in Poland, it will be difficult this time because Moldova are very strong but we will have the experience to have a stronger challenge in the next round. One of the toughest games I have ever played in was last season against Moldova, a very hard set of forwards”

At 25, Bartoszek is an “old head” with six years of International rugby behind him and his importance to the country has been recognised in this player of the year award.

What of Glasgow and the Hawks? “I hope that we can finish this season with a few league wins, but I would love to go to Murrayfield and help the Hawks win the Cup. It would be a great honour to be the first Polish international player to win a trophy there.”

Former Hawk and now playing for Gavin Blackburn's Biggar side, Craig Bachurzewski, was named in the Polish XV of the year.