Scotland and Glasgow star Jamie Dobie reveals hidden background in unexpected sport

Dobie is the top try scorer in the URC this season with seven tries for Glasgow Warriors, having claimed doubles against the Ospreys, Edinburgh Rugby and Zebre Parma. His prolific finishing has helped his Glasgow side to their current second placed ranking, as Franco Smith's side sport an impressive record of seven wins in nine matches.

Dobie also bagged a stunning hat-trick for Scotland against the USA, as Gregor Townsend's men pumped the Eagles 85-0 to rack up Scotland's greatest ever margin of victory at Murrayfield. This was one of three Autumn Nations Series appearences for Dobie, as the 24-year-old also featured against the All Blacks and Argentina. With such adaptability across halfback and out in the wide channels, Dobie is expected to be recalled to the Scotland squad today, when Townsend names his wider squad for the 2026 Six Nations.

However, 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.” Dobie revealed. “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.”

Dobie added; “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. Dobie 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,” Dobie added. “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.”