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Scottish teenage sensation Freddy Douglas already on Premiership radar

Freddy Douglas of Scotland looks on following the Autumn Nations Series 2024 match between Scotland and Portugal at Scottish Gas Murrayfield on November 16, 2024 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Scotland wonderkid Freddy Douglas, who won his first international cap against Portugal last weekend, is on the radar of Gallagher Premiership high-fliers Bristol Bears.

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Openside flanker Douglas, 19, became Scotland’s youngest cap since Donald White in 1963 when he came off the bench to make a 15-minute cameo in the 59-21 win at Murrayfield.

Edinburgh-born Douglas was educated at Stewart’s Melville College and joined the pro academy of his hometown club ahead of the 2023/24 season and was capped by Gregor Townsend before making a senior club appearance.

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Edinburgh are blessed with plenty of talent at seven, with Scotland, and British and Lions ace Hamish Watson, Luke Crosbie, Ben Muncaster and Connor Boyle, as well as Douglas, all on their books.

Scotland forwards coach John Dalziel recently said Douglas was “already world-class” and is believed to have spoken to the Bears about a move to the West Country next summer.

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Pat Lam has already snapped up Scottish international Tom Jordan from Glasgow Warriors for next season, and it would appear that there is going to be no end to their spending.

But it remains to be seen if they will be able to lure Douglas south of the border. RugbyPass sources in Scotland tell us that interest from the Bears is why he was capped before making an appearance for Edinburgh.

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Douglas is doing his best to keep his feet on the ground despite the world-class tag and winning his first cap, which has brought a blaze of publicity.

“I heard about that and I’m obviously buzzing, but hopefully I can just keep working and hopefully eventually get to world-class. Obviously, playing and training with my heroes growing up it’s all been a bit crazy.

“But, yeah, just crazy. They’ve all been so welcoming, and it’s not felt like I’m the youngest or that I’m not meant to be here. It just felt so welcoming and special,” he told the Edinburgh Evening News this week.

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G
GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

"has SA actually EVER helped to develop another union to maturity like NZ has with Japan," yes - Argentina. You obviously don't know the history of Argentinian rugby. SA were touring there on long development tours in the 1950's

We continued the Junior Bok tours to the Argentine through to the early 70's

My coach at Grey High was Giepie Wentzel who toured Argentine as a fly half. He told me about how every Argentinian rugby club has pictures of Van Heerden and Danie Craven on prominent display. Yes we have developed a nation far more than NZ has done for Japan. And BTW Sa players were playing and coaching in Japan long before the Kiwis arrived. Fourie du Preez and many others were playing there 15 years ago.


"Isaac Van Heerden's reputation as an innovative coach had spread to Argentina, and he was invited to Buenos Aires to help the Pumas prepare for their first visit to South Africa in 1965.[1][2] Despite Argentina faring badly in this tour,[2] it was the start of a long and happy relationship between Van Heerden and the Pumas. Izak van Heerden took leave from his teaching post in Durban, relocated to Argentina, learnt fluent Spanish, and would revolutionise Argentine play in the late 1960s, laying the way open for great players such as Hugo Porta.[1][2] Van Heerden virtually invented the "tight loose" form of play, an area in which the Argentines would come to excel, and which would become a hallmark of their playing style. The Pumas repaid the initial debt, by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park, and emerged as one of the better modern rugby nations, thanks largely to the talents of this Durban schoolmaster.[1]"


After the promise made by Junior Springbok manager JF Louw at the end of a 12-game tour to Argentina in 1959 – ‘I will do everything to ensure we invite you to tour our country’ – there were concerns about the strength of Argentinian rugby. South African Rugby Board president Danie Craven sent coach Izak van Heerden to help the Pumas prepare and they repaid the favour by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park.

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