John Allan (rugby union)

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = John Allan

| image =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1963|11|25}}

| birth_place = Glasgow, Scotland

| ru_currentposition =

| ru_currentteam =

| ru_position = Hooker

| relatives = Tommaso Allan (Nephew){{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/24456254|title=Scotland seek clarity on Tommaso Allan after Italy call-up|newspaper=BBC Sport|date=9 October 2013 }}

| school = Glenwood High School, Durban{{Cite news|url=http://www.glenwoodhighschool.co.za/john-allan-is-saluted-in-scotland-4/|title=John Allan is Saluted in Scotland|newspaper=Glenwood High School|date=24 April 2008 }}

| university = University of St Andrews, Fife{{Cite web|url=http://www.saints-rugby.com/history.html|title=University of Saint Andrews Rugby Football Club|newspaper=University of St Andrews|access-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171022233524/http://www.saints-rugby.com/history.html|archive-date=22 October 2017|url-status=dead}}

| amatyears1 = 1989–1992

| amatyears2 = 1992–1993

| amatteam1 = Edinburgh Academical{{Cite web|url=http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/trinityacademicals/a/associated-clubs-1317.html?page=2|title=Information – Trinity Accies RFC|newspaper=Trinity Accies|access-date=4 August 2018 }}

| amatteam2 = London Scottish

| years1 =

| clubs1 =

| apps1 =

| points1 =

| province1 = Natal

| province2 = Reds Trial

| provinceyears1 = 1988–1997

| provinceyears2 = 1990

| provinceapps1 = 126

| repyears1 = 1990

| repyears2 = 1990–1991

| repyears3 = 1993–1996

| repteam1 = Scotland 'A'

| repteam2 = {{nrut|Scotland}}

| repteam3 = {{nrut|South Africa}}

| repcaps1 = 1

| repcaps2 = 9

| repcaps3 = 13

| reppoints1 = 0

| reppoints2 = 0

| reppoints3 = 0

}}

John Allan (born 25 November 1963) is a former Scotland international rugby union player; and later a former South Africa international rugby union player.{{Cite web|title=John Allan|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/scotland/rugby/player/10699.html|access-date=2020-06-23|website=ESPN scrum}} He played as a hooker.

Rugby Union career

=Amateur career=

Allan was born on 25 November 1963 in Glasgow, Scotland. He lived in Scotland until he was 8 years old.

He then moved to South Africa. Allan attended Glenwood High School, where rugby first became a part of his life. In 1981, at the age of 17, he played for Glenwood High School's 1st XV.

From 1982 to 1985 he captained the Glenwood Old Boys U20 and the Natal U20 teams. From 1986 to 1987, he played for North Tvl Defence 1st XV and the South African Defence 1st XV3. Then from 1988 to 1990 he captained the Glenwood Old Boys 1st XV.

When Allan moved back to Scotland he played for Edinburgh Academicals.

He later played for London Scottish.

=Provincial and professional career=

Allan played for the Natal Provincial 1st XV, and played for the South African Select XV. He made his senior provincial debut for {{rut|Natal}} in 1988.{{Cite book|title=S.A. Rugby Writers Annual 1997|last=Van Rooyen|first=Quintus|publisher=SA Rugby Writers' Society|year=1997|isbn=0620209607|location=Montana Park|pages=111}}

In 1993 Allan was made captain of the Natal team. While with Natal, he was a part of the Currie Cup winning teams of 1992, 1995 and 1996. Between 1988 and 1997, Allan earned 126 caps for the Natal Sharks.

In Scotland, he played for the Reds Trial side in January 1990.{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19900102&printsec=frontpage&hl=en|title = The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search}}

He played for a Presidents XV side in 1991 in a curtailed Scottish Inter-District Championship due to the Rugby World Cup.{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000578/19910910/607/0026 |title=Register |access-date=March 17, 2023 |url-access=subscription |via=British Newspaper Archive}}

=International career=

He played for Scotland 'A' in 1990 against Spain.

Between 1990 and 1991, Allan played 9 tests and 24 games for Scotland, as their hooker.{{Cite book|last=Colquhoun|first=Andy|title=South African Rugby Annual 2001|publisher=MWP Media|year=2001|isbn=0958423180|location=Cape Town|pages=25}}

With apartheid ending in South Africa, Allan was given the chance to play for South Africa. Subsequently, between 1993 and 1996, he represented South Africa in 13 tests, also as hooker. Allan also played in 12 tour matches, scoring 6 tries for the Springboks.{{Cite book|title=The South African Rugby Annual 1999|last=Colquhoun|first=Andy|publisher=MWP Media Sport|year=1999|isbn=0958423148|location=Cape Town|pages=139}}

He was nicknamed "Jok Bok" by his Scottish teammates and "Bokjock" by his Springbok teammates.

==Test history==

colspan=7\|{{flagicon\|SCO}} Scotland
class="wikitable sortable"
No.	Opposition	Result (Sco 1st)	Position	Tries	Date	Venue
1.	{{ru\|NZL}}	16–31	Hooker		16 June 1990	Carisbrook, Dunedin
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 2.	{{ru\|WAL}}	32–12	Hooker		2 February 1991	Murrayfield, Edinburgh
3.	{{ru\|IRE}}	28–25	Hooker		16 March 1991	Murrayfield, Edinburgh
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 4.	{{ru\|ROM}}	12–18	Hooker		31 August 1991	Dinamo Stadion, Bucharest
5.	{{ru\|JPN}}	47–9	Hooker		5 October 1991	Murrayfield, Edinburgh
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 6.	{{ru\|IRE}}	24–15	Hooker		12 October 1991	Murrayfield, Edinburgh
7.	{{ru\|SAM}}	28–6	Hooker		19 October 1991	Murrayfield, Edinburgh
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 8.	{{ru\|ENG}}	6–9	Hooker		26 October 1991	Murrayfield, Edinburgh
9.	{{ru\|NZL}}	6–13	Hooker		30 October 1991	Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
colspan=7\| {{flagicon\|RSA}} South Africa
No.	Opposition	Result (SA 1st)	Position	Tries	Date	Venue
1.	{{ru\|AUS}}	19–12	Hooker		31 July 1993	Sydney Football Stadium (SFG), Sydney
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 2.	{{ru\|ARG}}	29–26	Hooker		5 November 1993	Ferro Carril Oeste Stadium, Buenos Aires
3.	{{flagicon\|ARG}} Argentina	52–23	Hooker		13 November 1993	Ferro Carril Oeste Stadium, Buenos Aires
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 4.	{{ru\|ENG}}	15–32	Hooker		4 June 1994	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
5.	{{flagicon\|ENG}} England	27–9	Hooker		11 June 1994	Newlands, Cape Town
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 6.	{{ru\|NZL}}	14–22	Hooker		9 July 1994	Carisbrook, Dunedin
7.	{{flagicon\|NZL}} New Zealand	9–13	Hooker		23 July 1994	Athletic Park, Wellington
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 8.	{{flagicon\|NZL}} New Zealand	18–18	Hooker		6 August 1994	Eden Park, Auckland
9.	{{ru\|FIJ}}	43–18	Hooker		2 July 1996	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 10.	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Australia	16–21	Hooker		13 July 1996	Sydney Football Stadium (SFG), Sydney
11.	{{flagicon\|NZL}} New Zealand	11–15	Hooker		20 July 1996	AMI Stadium, Christchurch
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 12.	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Australia	25–19	Hooker		3 August 1996	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
13.	{{flagicon\|NZL}} New Zealand	18–29	Hooker		10 August 1996	Newlands, Cape Town

=Coaching career=

In 1997, Allan started coaching. His first stint was with London Scottish, from 1997 to 1998 where they were promoted to the Premier Division, and Allan moved on to coach the Natal Sharks forwards in 1999.

From 2000 to 2003 Allan was the Director of Coaching for the Glenwood Falcons, while also commentating on Supersport. He also worked as an advisor to the Natal Sharks from 2000 to 2001, and became their Forward Consultant in 2003.

In 2004, he was appointed the CEO of SARLA, a duty he still performs to this day. He does this, while still managing to maintain his various other positions. He is still the Director of Coaching for his club, the Glenwood Falcons, and a Supersport TV Presenter; in addition, he became the Executive Director of The eLan Rugby Legends.

Family

He is the uncle of Tommaso Allan,[http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/rugby-union/rugby-john-allan-hails-boks-influence-on-edinburgh-1-3148767 Rugby: John Allan hail Boks' influence on Edinburgh] who played for Scotland at U-17, U-18 and U-20 and then, for the Italy national rugby union team