John Beattie (rugby union) facts for kids
| Birth name | John Ross Beattie | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 27 November 1957 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | North Borneo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Johnnie Beattie (son) Jen Beattie (daughter) |
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| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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John Ross Beattie (born 27 November 1957) is a Scottish broadcaster and a former rugby union player. He is well-known for his career in rugby and later for his work on radio and TV.
Contents
Early Life and School
John Beattie was born in North Borneo on November 27, 1957. His parents were Scottish, and his father managed a rubber farm there.
He went to boarding school in Penang, Malaysia. When he was eleven, his family moved back to Scotland. He then attended the Glasgow Academy in Glasgow.
After school, he studied at the University of Glasgow. He earned a degree in Civil Engineering.
Rugby Union Career
John Beattie played rugby for several teams during his career. He was a strong player, often playing as a Flanker or Number Eight.
Club and District Teams
He played for school teams in Glasgow. Later, he joined club teams like Glasgow Academicals and Heriot's.
He also represented his local area, playing for Glasgow District. In 1986, he played for the Combined Scottish Districts team.
Playing for Scotland
John Beattie first played for the Scotland 'B' team in 1980, earning two "caps" (which means he played in two international matches).
His first full international match for Scotland was on February 2, 1980. He played against Ireland at Lansdowne Road when he was 22 years old.
He went on to play for Scotland 25 times in total. He was a key player for the national team.
British Lions Tours
John Beattie was also chosen to play for the British Lions. This is a special team made up of the best players from England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.
He toured with the Lions twice. First, he went to South Africa in 1980. Then, he toured New Zealand in 1983. He played in one "test match" (a major international game) for the Lions. He also played for the Lions in a special match against 'the Rest' in 1986.
In 1987, he was the captain for Scotland during a tour to Spain. He scored a try (like a touchdown in American football) in matches against France and Wales that year.
His first try for Scotland was against France on March 7, 1987. Sadly, a knee injury during a match against England on April 4, 1987, ended his playing career early. This injury meant he could not play in the first-ever Rugby World Cup.
Coaching Rugby
After his playing career, John Beattie also spent some time coaching. He was an assistant coach at Glasgow Academicals.
Later, he coached the Premier One team Biggar for a season. He also coached West of Scotland as they moved up through different divisions.
Broadcasting and Journalism
After rugby, John Beattie changed careers. He first trained as an accountant. Then, in 1995, he started working in broadcasting.
He became a well-known voice and face in sports. He works as a commentator and presenter for rugby on TV and radio.
He hosted a lunchtime show on BBC Radio Scotland that covered news and discussions. He also co-hosted Sport Nation, a sports show on both radio and TV.
John Beattie writes about rugby too. He has a rugby blog on the BBC's website. He has also written for newspapers like The Herald and the Sunday Herald, and for Scottish Rugby Magazine.
In 2003, he led a group for the Scottish government. This group worked on ways to help people in Scotland be more active and healthy. He also reviewed this plan in 2008.
Since 2010, he has hosted "The John Beattie Show" on Radio Scotland. More recently, in 2019, he became a presenter for BBC Scotland's news program, The Nine. In 2024, he also started presenting news for BBC News Reporting Scotland.
Family Life
John Beattie has a family of talented athletes. His son, Johnnie, is also a Scottish international rugby player. He has played for Scotland many times since 2006.
One of his daughters, Jen, is a professional football player. She plays for the Scotland women's national team, having played over 100 matches. She also plays for Arsenal and used to play for Celtic F.C. Women.
In 2004, John Beattie was a candidate for Rector at the University of Glasgow. This is a special role that represents the students.
He has also received honorary doctorates. Abertay University gave him one in 2015. The University of Glasgow gave him another one a year later.
