One day in 1990 on my rounds I walked into the managers office at Bishopbriggs Sports Centre to be met by one Jim Blair Fitness Adviser to the All Blacks who was on a visit back to Gasgow organised by John Roxburgh then SRU Technical Director

Jim a boy from the east end of Glasgow and a product of Jordonhill College had emigrated to New Zealand and after meeting up with John Hart at Auckland had been invited to help with fitness work for the All Blacks squad using his famous grid system--read Jim Blair's Rugby Fitness

At that time Scots were making a huge contribution in this field with a fellow Glasgwegian Tom McNab formerly of Shettleston Harriers,Victoria Park A.A.C helping advise Bath and the RFU.Tom a fellow Jordonhill graduate worked wih Rex Hazeldine at Loughborough on the English squad taking rugby to a new fitness level.
Tom was also a writer with novels like Flanagan's Run ,Rings of Sand and the Fast Men to his credit--he also advised on the film Chariots of Fire

This work was also embraced by Dave Mclean who continued to expand and develop it with Scottish squads of the 1990s Dave is still working in this field with John Beattie up at West

What price a prophet in his own land

This article was originally posted on 12-Feb-2006, 09:35 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 12-Feb-2006, 20:23.