Jim Telfer facts for kids

James Telfer (born March 17, 1940) is a famous Scottish former rugby union coach and player. He played in 21 international matches during a time when rugby players were not paid. Jim Telfer also worked as a headmaster at schools like Hawick High School and Galashiels Academy. He was also a chemistry teacher at Forrester High School. With Sir Ian McGeechan, he helped both the Scottish national team and the British Lions achieve great success.

Playing Rugby

Jim Telfer played for a club called Melrose RFC. He was still a student when he was first chosen to play for Scotland. His first game for Scotland was against France on January 4, 1964. He played his last match for Scotland on February 28, 1970, against Ireland.

Telfer played in 21 games for Scotland. He played in the "back row" position. He also played for the British Lions in 1966 and 1968. He was very impressed by how New Zealand rugby teams played. He played 23 games for the British Lions during their tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1966. He also played 11 games on their tour of South Africa in 1968.

Between 1963 and 1967, he played 8 times for the Barbarians, scoring six points.

Coaching Rugby

Jim Telfer became a coach after his playing career. He was the main coach for the British Lions when they toured New Zealand in 1983. He was also an assistant coach for the British Lions tour to South Africa in 1997. During that tour, he gave a very famous and inspiring speech to the players, which is known as his 'Everest' speech. He told them they were facing their own "Everest" challenge.

Telfer led Scotland to win the Grand Slam in 1984. A Grand Slam means winning all games in the Five Nations Championship. He also helped Scotland win their second Grand Slam in 1990 as an assistant coach to Ian McGeechan. In his third time as head coach from 1998 to 1999, Scotland won the last ever Five Nations Championship.

In 2014, he was still coaching the Under-18 team for Melrose RFC, called the Melrose Wasps. Jim Telfer has often said that he learned a lot from New Zealand's rugby style and used some of their ideas in his coaching.

Awards and Achievements

In 2021, Jim Telfer was honored by World Rugby. He was added to the World Rugby Hall of Fame. This is a special place for people who have made a huge impact on rugby.

As a Player

• Scotland
  • Five Nations Championship
    • Winner: 1964
    • Runner-up: 1966, 1967
  • Calcutta Cup
    • Winner: 1964, 1965, 1966

As a Coach

See also

In Spanish: Jim Telfer para niños