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Jim Thompson (rugby union)
Encyclopedia
Jim Thompson is a Scottish
rugby union
player. He currently plays at Fullback and Centre for Edinburgh Rugby who compete in the Celtic League
and Heineken Cup
.
Jim is the son of Channel 4 Racing
presenter Derek Thompson
and the grandson of the 'Voice of Rugby', former commentator Bill McLaren
. He is the cousin of current Scotland international Scrum-half Rory Lawson
and the nephew of former international Scrum-half Alan Lawson
.
In his early life he was educated at Dollar Academy
in Clackmannanshire
, there he showed passion for rugby.
He went to school at Stewart's Melville College
in Edinburgh
and Dollar Academy
in Clackmannanshire
before graduating with a degree in Sport and Exercise Science from Napier University
.
Thompson was a member of Scottish Rugby's
Senior National Academy.
in the opening fixture of the 2007–08 Celtic League season. He signed a professional contract with Edinburgh in May 2008.
He joined Scottish Premier One side Heriot's in 2003 and was in the side who reached the final of the 2006 Melrose Sevens
tournament.
In the draft of all players from the Scottish pro-teams (Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors
) to the Scottish Premier One rugby clubs in June 2008, Thompson was selected by Heriot's and will be available to play for them during the 2008–09 season when not required by Edinburgh or any of the national teams.
in a club international fixture shadowing the Six Nations
match between the two countries' full international sides.
During the 2007–08 season
, Thompson represented Scotland
in every round of the IRB Sevens World Series
. In his debut tournament in Dubai
he scored tries against both France
and the Arabian Gulf rugby union team
. This was followed up with further tries in the USA
and Hong Kong
events.
At the 2008 Churchill Cup
, Thompson made a try scoring Scotland A
debut against Argentina
and took part in the final against England Saxons
. Also in 2008, Thompson was part of the Scottish Thistles side (selected from the Scotland Sevens squad) which won the 125th Melrose Sevens
tournament.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player. He currently plays at Fullback and Centre for Edinburgh Rugby who compete in the Celtic League
Celtic League (rugby union)
The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
and Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
.
Jim is the son of Channel 4 Racing
Channel 4 Racing
Channel 4 Racing is the name given to the horse racing coverage on the British television station Channel 4.-History:The first transmission of racing on the channel was on 22 March 1984 from Doncaster, as it took over midweek coverage which had previously been on ITV...
presenter Derek Thompson
Derek Thompson (sports commentator)
Derek Paul Thompson is a presenter and commentator of horse racing on Channel 4 in Britain.-Biography:...
and the grandson of the 'Voice of Rugby', former commentator Bill McLaren
Bill McLaren
William Pollock "Bill" McLaren CBE was a Scottish rugby union commentator, teacher, journalist and one time rugby player. Until his retirement in 2002, he was known as 'the voice of rugby'...
. He is the cousin of current Scotland international Scrum-half Rory Lawson
Rory Lawson
Rory Lawson is a Scottish international rugby union player who currently plays for Gloucester Rugby as a Scrum Half. He attended Dollar Academy where he captained the school's 1st XV. After a number of years playing amateur rugby for Heriots he then took a professional contract with Edinburgh...
and the nephew of former international Scrum-half Alan Lawson
Alan Lawson
Alan Lawson was born on 19 May 1948 in Kirkcaldy is a retired Scottish rugby union player. He played scrum-half for Scotland on 15 occasions between 1972 and 1980...
.
In his early life he was educated at Dollar Academy
Dollar Academy
Dollar Academy was founded in 1818, which makes it the oldest co-educational day and boarding school in the world. The open campus occupies a site in the centre of the thriving town of Dollar in Central Scotland, less than 40 minutes drive from the two main Scottish cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh...
in Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire, often abbreviated to Clacks is a local government council area in Scotland, and a lieutenancy area, bordering Perth and Kinross, Stirling and Fife.As Scotland's smallest historic county, it is often nicknamed 'The Wee County'....
, there he showed passion for rugby.
He went to school at Stewart's Melville College
Stewart's Melville College
Stewart's Melville College is an all boys boarding and day private school situated in the heart of Edinburgh, Scotland...
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and Dollar Academy
Dollar Academy
Dollar Academy was founded in 1818, which makes it the oldest co-educational day and boarding school in the world. The open campus occupies a site in the centre of the thriving town of Dollar in Central Scotland, less than 40 minutes drive from the two main Scottish cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh...
in Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire, often abbreviated to Clacks is a local government council area in Scotland, and a lieutenancy area, bordering Perth and Kinross, Stirling and Fife.As Scotland's smallest historic county, it is often nicknamed 'The Wee County'....
before graduating with a degree in Sport and Exercise Science from Napier University
Napier University
Edinburgh Napier is one of the largest higher education institutions in Scotland with over 17,000 students, including nearly 5,000 international students, from more than 100 nations worldwide.-History:...
.
Thompson was a member of Scottish Rugby's
Scottish Rugby Union
The Scottish Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland. It is the second oldest Rugby Union, having been founded in 1873, as the Scottish Football Union.-History:...
Senior National Academy.
Club Rugby
Thompson played his first match for Edinburgh Rugby while an academy player as a replacement against LeinsterLeinster Rugby
Leinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...
in the opening fixture of the 2007–08 Celtic League season. He signed a professional contract with Edinburgh in May 2008.
He joined Scottish Premier One side Heriot's in 2003 and was in the side who reached the final of the 2006 Melrose Sevens
Melrose Sevens
Melrose Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Melrose Rugby Club, in Melrose, Scotland. It is the oldest rugby sevens competition dating from 1883, when the tournament was suggested by former Melrose player Ned Haig....
tournament.
In the draft of all players from the Scottish pro-teams (Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors
Glasgow Warriors
The Glasgow Warriors, formerly Glasgow Rugby, are one of two professional rugby union teams in Scotland, Edinburgh being the other. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12 and their home ground is Firhill Stadium, also the home of Partick Thistle Football Club.-History:Glasgow Rugby were created to...
) to the Scottish Premier One rugby clubs in June 2008, Thompson was selected by Heriot's and will be available to play for them during the 2008–09 season when not required by Edinburgh or any of the national teams.
International Rugby
In 2007, Thompson was part of the Scotland Club XV side who beat IrelandIreland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
in a club international fixture shadowing the Six Nations
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
match between the two countries' full international sides.
During the 2007–08 season
2007-08 IRB Sevens World Series
The 2007–08 IRB Sevens World Series was the ninth of an annual series of rugby union sevens tournaments for full national sides run by the International Rugby Board since 1999–2000...
, Thompson represented Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team (sevens)
The Scottish national rugby union sevens team compete in the IRB Sevens World Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Commonwealth Games.During 2006, the side were in danger of no longer competing in the Sevens World Series due to the financial problems faced by the Scottish Rugby Union...
in every round of the IRB Sevens World Series
IRB Sevens World Series
The IRB Sevens World Series, known officially as the HSBC Sevens World Series as of the 2010-11 season, through sponsorship from banking group HSBC, and also sometimes called the World Sevens Series, is a series of international rugby union sevens tournaments organised for the first time in the...
. In his debut tournament in Dubai
2007 Dubai Sevens
The Emirates Airline Dubai Sevens is played annually as part of the IRB Sevens World Series for international rugby sevens...
he scored tries against both France
France national rugby union team (sevens)
The France national rugby union sevens team compete in the World Sevens Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens.-Current squad:2011–12 IRB Sevens World Series squad :*Vincent Deniau*Jean Baptiste Mazoue*Terry Bouhraoua...
and the Arabian Gulf rugby union team
Arabian Gulf rugby union team
The Arabian Gulf rugby union team was a combined team of players from Arab states of Persian Gulf — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that represented the Arabian Peninsula area in international rugby union competitions...
. This was followed up with further tries in the USA
2008 USA Sevens
The USA Sevens, with the New Zealand brewery Steinlager as the presenting sponsor, is played annually as part of the IRB Sevens World Series for international rugby sevens...
and Hong Kong
2008 Hong Kong Sevens
The Hong Kong Sevens is contested annually as part of the IRB Sevens World Series for international rugby sevens . The 2008 competition, which took place between March 28 and March 30 in Hong Kong, was the fifth Cup trophy in the 2007-08 IRB Sevens World Series and was won by New Zealand...
events.
At the 2008 Churchill Cup
2008 Churchill Cup
The 2008 Churchill Cup took place between 7 June and 21 June 2008 in what was the sixth year of the tournament. Six rugby union teams took part: , England Saxons, Ireland A, Scotland A, the , and an Argentinian XV.-Participation:...
, Thompson made a try scoring Scotland A
Scotland A national rugby union team
The Scotland A team are the second national rugby union team behind the Scottish national side.-History:Scotland's status as one of the leading rugby nations in the Northern Hemisphere, made the SRU to field a second team, first known as Scotland XV, and currently as Scotland A, which can play at...
debut against Argentina
Argentina A national rugby union team
The Argentina A national rugby union team, also known as Argentina Jaguars and as Argentina XV national rugby union team, in the past, are the second national rugby union team in Argentina after the national side....
and took part in the final against England Saxons
England Saxons
England Saxons is the current name of England's men's second national rugby union team. The team has previously been known by a number of names, such as England B, Emerging England and, most recently, England A...
. Also in 2008, Thompson was part of the Scottish Thistles side (selected from the Scotland Sevens squad) which won the 125th Melrose Sevens
Melrose Sevens
Melrose Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Melrose Rugby Club, in Melrose, Scotland. It is the oldest rugby sevens competition dating from 1883, when the tournament was suggested by former Melrose player Ned Haig....
tournament.