Former Edinburgh Rugby, Scotland A and Scotland 7s player Jim Thompson is the new Director of Sport at Strathallan School in Perthshire.
Thompson played 61 times for the capital club as a professional at wing and full-back, and for six years was a key member of the 7s team playing the IRB World Series. He also played for London Scottish before going into teaching, latterly at King’s Ely School in Cambridgeshire.
A grandson of legendary rugby commentator Bill McLaren, son of well-known racing commentator Derek and the cousin of former Scotland captain Rory Lawson, Thompson succeeds Audrey Sime, who has been director of sport at Strathallan for the last 18 years.
Thompson already had strong connections with the Forgandenny school involved in their rugby camps.
“I’ve been running and coaching the Strathallan Rugby camps for the last four years and they were a huge reason for moving up here to be Director of Sport,” he said. “It’s a great school in a beautiful part of Scotland and I’m excited to put my all into raising the already outstanding calibre of sport Strathallan has to offer.”
Miss Sime is moving on but staying at Strathallan as Assistant Head of Co-curricular, and her 18 years in charge swathe development of pupils such as Duncan Scott, JJ Chalmers, George Evans, Nicki Cochrane, Charlie Guest, Abi Evans and a host of Scotland rugby internationals at all-age groups, including Zander and Matt Fagerson, George Horne and Jamie Ritchie.
Ollie Smith and Cameron Henderson, who recently signed a professional contract with Leicester Tigers, have been recent Scotland Under-20 caps while the school first XV won the Scottish Schools cup in 2017.
“It has been an amazing 18 years as director of sport and a real privilege to work with the pupils and staff at this amazing school,” she said. “I’m now moving into a new exciting role where I will continue to help our pupils excel.”
