Glasgow Warriors snap up hotshot scrum-half from under the nose of Edinburgh

Merchiston Castle School has long been one of the most productive rugby breeding grounds in Scotland, with Edinburgh having picked up plenty of talented players from the school in the south-west of the city.

The likes of Zach Mercer, Magnus Bradbury and Fraser Brown have all graduated from its ranks in recent years, whilst another emerging talent in Rufus McLean is set to start appearing on people’s radars in the coming seasons.

Unfortunately for Richard Cockerill and his side, they have missed out on one of the brightest prospects to come out of the school in years in the form of Jamie Dobie, with the scrum-half signing a two-year professional contract with Glasgow Warriors.

Still just 17 years of age, Dobie has been turning out for the Scotland U18 side the last two seasons and was one of the standouts for the age-grade side at the recent U18 Six Nations Festival, where he also captained the team.

Speaking to glasgowwarriors.org, Dobie said “I’m delighted to be making the step and joining Glasgow Warriors for the next two seasons.

“This is a real opportunity for me to develop and learn from some of the best players in the country and bring my own game on in a new environment.

“It will be a huge test, but one I am massively looking forward to.”

His soon-to-be head coach Dave Rennie said “It’s uncommon for a player to be signed straight from school, but Jamie is one of the most exciting young talents in the country and we believe he’s ready to thrive in a professional environment.

“He’s an impressive man and has the potential to become the complete scrum-half.

“He’ll learn a lot from the three nines already at the club and we’re rapt to have him on board.”

With both George Horne and Ali Price likely to be involved in the upcoming Rugby World Cup for Scotland, Dobie could find himself playing senior club rugby sooner rather than later under Rennie, with Glasgow’s playing resources set to be stretched thin in the opening weeks of the 2019/20 Guinness PRO14 season.

He could also feature in the World Rugby U20 Championship in June, where he would be competing with Karl McGhie, Murray Scott and Roan Frostwick for a spot in Carl Hogg’s side.

Watch: The Academy – Part Three