Jim Renwick

Who is Jim Renwick?

Jim Renwick was one of Scotland's greatest rugby players, usually at centre. He played for Hawick Harlequins RFC and the full Hawick RFC team, Scotland and the British Lions, 1972–84. He earned 52 caps for his country. Allan Massie thinks his 1981–82 international season was his best, and describes him as "an individualist rather than a link-man". and that

A player of precocious talent, Jim Renwick was aged just nineteen when he won his first cap against France in 1972. It was the first of a then-record 52 appearances for Scotland, and scored eleven tries. He tended to be at his best when playing against Wales, scoring more tries against them than any other country.

Richard Bath writes of him that:

Renwick was a slightly unorthodox player, and considered suspect in defence in the early part of his career – this saw him left out of the 1977 Lions – although appearances were deceptive. While Renwick never tackled in the classic style, few men got passed him; he preferred a high, smothering tackle that also had the benefit of often allowing him to stay on his feet, and therefore stay in the game.

In Bucharest, May 1984, Renwick broke Andy Irvine's previous record of fifty one caps playing Romania, even though he'd missed the first past of the season through injury.