As one of the new breed of hybrid players, Jamie Dobie has a real all-court game, which is somewhat appropriate for a former teenage tennis talent.
His decision to concentrate on rugby has proved a wise move as he now has 17 Scotland caps and has been one of the form players of the season – whether lining up at scrum-half or on the wing.
He is the top try scorer in the Vodacom URC with seven, having claimed Dobie doubles against the Ospreys, Edinburgh Rugby and Zebre Parma, with his prolific finishing helping Glasgow Warriors sit second in the table.
There was also a hat-trick of tries for Scotland against the USA in November as he figured in three of the autumn internationals.
With his ability to cover two positions, he is likely to be an important figure for his country in the Guinness Six Nations, so his rugby life is good right now.
Yet, it was another sport which had been a big focus while he was a pupil at Merchiston Castle School, in Edinburgh.
“I used to play a lot of tennis when I was younger,” says the 24-year-old.
“I joined the Academy at school.
“It was a balancing act between tennis, rugby and everything else you’ve got going on there.
“Then it got to the point where I had to decide between tennis and rugby in terms of what was going to work alongside the school work and exams that were starting to happen.
“I just decided that rugby was going to be much more enjoyable. I really enjoyed the team element of it.
“I’m glad I made that decision and stuck with it.”
He continues: “I think my tennis background has helped a lot with the rugby, in terms of hand-eye coordination, footwork, speed skills and change of direction.
“I think I picked up a lot of those skills when I was really young on the tennis court. That’s helped me massively on the rugby field.”
The Inverness-born Dobie joined Glasgow directly from school in 2019, making his debut against Ulster Rugby in September of that year while still only 18.
Having been capped at U16s and U18s level, he was called up to the senior Scotland squad in 2021 and won his first cap against Tonga in that year’s autumn internationals.
He has played the bulk of his rugby at scrum-half, including when he had a spell in New Zealand with Bay of Plenty, but in recent times he has also been utilised on the wing by Glasgow Warriors coach Franco Smith.
That has seen him emerge as Scotland’s answer to South Africa’s hybrid star Grant Williams, with his ability to cover both positions being such an asset in an era where teams are increasingly looking to employ a 6-2 split on the bench.
Dobie has actually started more games on the wing than at scrum-half for Glasgow this season – five to three – and it will be intriguing to see where he features against Zebre out in Parma this Saturday.
“I’m happy playing both positions and obviously the main thing is being involved,” he says.
“I only see it as a benefit for me, being able to cover those positions.
“I feel like I am a genuine option in both and it’s nice to have those strings to the bow. Being versatile and being able to cover different positions is important and the main thing for me is that I want to be starting or in the 23 as much as possible.
“In the last couple of years, with Franco running the 6-2 bench, I’ve spent plenty of time on the wing.
“I’m more than comfortable to do that and I’m glad the coaches have the faith for me to play either.
“There’s no doubt that playing on the wing has made me a better scrum-half and vice-versa. I really enjoy playing both.
“Scrum-half is where I feel most at home and I do want to play there more because I think your ability to influence a game is more – but that’s not to take away from wingers and I have a new appreciation for that.”
Dobie has also taken on a dual role at international level.
On Scotland’s 2024 summer tour, he made two starts on the wing, while this year his caps have come at scrum-half, including starts against Fiji, Samoa, USA and Argentina, plus a bench outing versus New Zealand.
He is, fittingly enough, a man with many strings to his racket.
Black Hole Necromancer
The modern game was born at a school in Warwickshire – Rugby’s most widely accepted origin takes us back to 1839, where a Warwickshire Rugby School student, William Webb Ellis, came up with the game by picking up a regular football and charging at the opposing team’s goal. A formal set of rules would be made later that year. Also, another interesting fact about rugby for you – the Rugby World Cup trophy is called the William Webb Ellis trophy after the man who invented the game!
Frosty Sunshine
Sport Trivia: At which race course is the Durban July run every year? Answer: Greyville – The Durban July, which was first run in 1897, is South Africa\’s equivalent of Britain\’s Royal Ascot. The race takes place over 2.2 kms and is run on the first Saturday of July each year at the Greyville Race course.