Jeffrey is excited to embrace the future after past mistakes
JOHN JEFFREY remembers being told before the 1991 World Cup that the thistle on the Scotland jersey was to be updated. The brash Kelso farmer could never be described as a traditionalist, but he admits he was appalled by this news.
Jeffrey had grown up dreaming of putting on the navy blue jersey and running out at Murrayfield to represent the country he loved. The thistle on his chest was part of that, and this new logo didn’t fit with his vision of what playing for Scotland was all about.
In the end, he overcame those reservations and went on to play a key role in Scotland’s best ever World Cup — reaching the semi-finals before losing out in heartbreaking fashion with a 9-6 defeat to England.
After hanging up his boots at the end of that tournament, with 40 caps to his name, Jeffrey continued to contribute to Scottish rugby through various guises, including coach, commentator and committee man. And he has not always sung from the same hymn sheet as the governing body.
He quit as a selector on the SRU’s International Game Board in 1998 because of his disgust at the way the game was being run in this country.
However, he was sufficiently satisfied with the integrity of those in charge by 2004 to accept a role as manager of the national Under-21 team. And, after a six-season stint in that job, he moved on to become one of the SRU’s two representatives on the IRB Council in 2010.
He has had a front-row seat as the game has changed almost beyond recognition during the professional era and, like any good back-row forward, he has adapted accordingly.
So, when he found out that the SRU had sold the naming right for Murrayfield to BT in a four-year deal worth £20million, he was not one of the old buffers choking on their gin in disgust.
It is a move Jeffrey heartily welcomes, so long as a sizable chunk of the cash is directed towards plans to build four regional academies capable of giving the country’s best young players a better chance of achieving their full potential.
‘When they were going to change the badge from the old thistle to the new one, I was totally opposed to it — but I’ve matured,’ he reflects.
‘I would say two things: First, they’ve kept Murrayfield as the main name, which was important because it’s part of the values of Scottish rugby. ’
‘Secondly, it’s going to bring in money and, significantly, it will fund the four academies — that’s the real big thing for me.’
‘While it is important to look back and enjoy our heritage, I also realise we’re never going to progress, never going to keep selling this place [Murrayfield] out and never going to keep producing players if we look back the whole time.
‘What we are doing with these academies is driving forward Scottish rugby, to give it the success to sell out this stadium the whole time and produce a team which is going to attract more people to the game, and make all of Scotland proud.’
Jeffrey added: ‘Having been involved in the Under-20s for few years as manager we always had two or three little nuggets of players. I still think we do produce players in Scotland but we need to broaden the base. I genuinely think the academy system is the way to do it.
‘With the Under-20s, we would be up against England who would produce 25 players one week and the next week their Premiership clubs would take half of them back, but then there was another lot at that level. It’s such a huge number.’
‘There is talent in Scotland — we just need to nurture it properly.’
‘It’s not going to happen overnight, obviously, but there are people coming through the whole time. I’m excited because this is the way forward.’