John Jeffrey
{{short description|British Lions & Scotland international rugby union player}}
{{other people}}
{{for|the Welsh international rugby union player|John Jeffery (rugby union)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2012}}
{{infobox rugby biography
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1959|3|25}}
| birth_place = Kelso, Scottish Borders
| height =
| weight =
| ru_position = Flanker
| amatyears1 = -
| amatteam1 = Kelso
| ru_provinceyears= -
| ru_province = {{nowrap|South of Scotland}}
| ru_provincecaps =
| ru_provincepoints =
| repyears1 = 1983-84
| repteam1 = Scotland 'B'
| repcaps1 = 3
| reppoints1 =
| repyears2 = 1984–91
| repteam2 = Scotland
| repcaps2 = 40
| reppoints2 = 44
}}
John Jeffrey (born 25 March 1959) is a Scottish former rugby union player, coach and administrator. He won 40 caps for Scotland, and was part of the team that won the Grand Slam in 1990. After retiring as a player he was a coach and administrator.
Early life
Jeffrey was educated at St. Mary's School, Melrose and Merchiston Castle School.{{cite news |url=http://www.thecourier.co.uk/business/farming/news/john-jeffrey-handed-moredun-honorary-fellowship-1.578832 |title=John Jeffrey handed Moredun honorary fellowship |newspaper=The Courier (Dundee) |date=16 September 2014 |access-date=22 January 2016}} Jeffrey owns a farm in the Borders. His nicknames were "The Great White Shark" and "JJ".
Playing career
Jeffrey played for Kelso and South of Scotland.
He was capped by Scotland 'B' 3 times between 1983 and 1984.
He won forty caps for Scotland between 1984 and 1991, making him, at the time, Scotland's most capped flanker. He scored 11 tries, another Scottish record at the time, shared with back-row colleague Derek White.
Journalist Richard Bath described him as "one of the most galvanising sights in Five Nations rugby throughout the 1980s and early 1990s."Bath, p141
In 1988, after playing football with the Calcutta Cup along Princes Street in Edinburgh with England's Dean Richards, Jeffrey received a six-month ban from the Scottish Rugby Union.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ADlAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OlkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3325%2C3518499 |title=Ban on Jeffrey over Calcutta Cup affair |first=Bill |last=McMurtrie |work=The Herald|location=Glasgow |page=1 |access-date=5 February 2017}} Richards received a one match sentence from the English Rugby Football Union. The trophy was severely dented, and cost hundreds of pounds to repair. Jeffrey later admitted to having been drunk at the time of the incident: "There was no doubt it was us. It was a mix of alcohol and high jinks. I think I had sobered up a bit by the time I got back to the hotel. I remember looking at the cup and thinking, 'hmmm, we could be in a spot of bother here'."{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/england/9837785/Six-Nations-2013-The-drunken-night-when-Dean-Richards-and-John-Jeffrey-trashed-the-Calcutta-Cup.html|title=Six Nations 2013: The drunken night when Dean Richards and John Jeffrey trashed the Calcutta Cup|date=2013-01-31|access-date=2019-09-29|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}
Jeffrey was selected for the British Lions' 1989 Tour of Australia.
He was a part of the Scotland team that won the Grand Slam in 1990.
During the 1990 Hong Kong Sevens, Jeffrey played for Scotland 7s, but when they were knocked out, he went on to play for Wales 7s as they were suffering from too many injuries.{{cite news |last=Hands |first=David |date=2 April 1990 |title=Fijians perform in a way unmatched even by All Blacks |work= The Times |location=London, UK }}
Later career
Jeffrey was involved in coaching the Scotland youth teams. He has commentated on rugby games for the BBC.
He was a member of the (now World Rugby) Council (previously the International Rugby Board) and head of referees since 2010.
In December 2020 Jeffrey was appointed as chairman of the Scottish Rugby Board.{{Cite news|url=https://www.scotsman.com/sport/rugby-union/john-jeffrey-appointed-chairman-of-the-scottish-rugby-board-3057059|title=John Jeffrey appointed chairman of the Scottish Rugby board|date=2020-12-03|access-date=2022-12-19|language=en-GB|work=The Scotsman}} In December 2022 Scottish Rugby announced that Jeffrey would stand down as chairman in May 2023 but would remain on the board.{{Cite news|url=https://www.scotsman.com/sport/rugby-union/scottish-rugby-begin-hunt-for-new-chair-but-john-jeffrey-to-remain-on-board-3944435|title=Scottish Rugby begin hunt for new chair but John Jeffrey to remain on board|date=2022-12-06|access-date=2022-12-19|language=en-GB|work=The Scotsman}}
In 2024 Jeffrey put himself forward as a candidate for the charirmanship of World Rugby. His candidacy was not supported by the Scottish Ruby Union, and he subsequently resigned as president of the Six Nations and as a board member, council member and vice-chairman of World Rugby.
References
{{reflist|2}}
;Sources
{{refbegin}}
- Bath, Richard (ed.) The Complete Book of Rugby (Seven Oaks Ltd, 1997 {{ISBN|1-86200-013-1}})
{{refend}}
External links
- [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=1476 John Jeffrey on Sporting Heroes]
- [http://sport.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=325&id=474212002 A tribute to John Jeffrey in The Scotsman newspaper]
- {{ESPNscrum|9827}}
{{British and Irish Lions 1986}}
{{Scotland squad 1987 RWC}}
{{British and Irish Lions 1989}}
{{Four Home Unions 1990}}
{{Scotland Squad 1991 World Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jeffrey, John}}
Category:British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Scotland
Category:Male rugby sevens players
Category:People educated at Merchiston Castle School
Category:People educated at St Mary's School, Melrose
Category:Rugby union players from Kelso
Category:Scotland 'B' international rugby union players
Category:Scotland international rugby sevens players
Category:Scotland international rugby union players
Category:Scottish rugby union coaches
Category:Scottish rugby union commentators
Category:Scottish rugby union players
Category:South of Scotland District (rugby union) players