Jim Gray – A Greens Obituary 💚

Everyone connected with Hawick RFC were deeply saddened recently on hearing the news of the passing of Greens legend Jim Gray.

Brought up in Wellington Street, Jim was educated at Wilton Primary School, where he captained the school rugby team, before heading to the ‘Big Skil’. After playing for the High School Jim joined the PSA with long time friend and future Hawick & South teammate Billy Hunter. Then, aged 17 he moved up to senior rugby, cutting his teeth in a very good Hawick YM side alongside the likes of Graeme and Tom Lyall, Jock Oldham and Kenny Murray. In one particular season the ‘Redskins scored nearly 1000 points, which was a tremendous achievement at a time when a try only counted for 3 points.

Jim was playing regularly at fullback by this time, and his opportunity to pull on the ‘Green Jersey’ was to come in season 1953-4 when the incumbent #15 Mick McCredie picked up an injury and Jim was pulled in to the Hawick side. He took his chance and with McCredie getting on in years and nearing retirement, he ultimately made the jersey his own, going on to make 269 appearance for the Greens during what was to become a tremendous era for the club.

He recalls during the late 50’s the Hawick players were all of a like mind in that we were all dedicated and wanted to get better and fitter, the catalyst being Hugh McLeod who had returned from the 1958 Lions tour with some great ideas and a real desire to see this crop of Hawick players fulfil their huge potential.

Jim would say, “Hughie was a great inspiration to me, as he was to us all. I remember at the start of each season he and I would meet up at 6.00am each morning and run roond the Dunk, to get ourselves fit”!

Jim went on to score well over a 1,000 points for his beloved Greens from 1953-4 until 1967-8 when he retired, contributing in no small way to Hawick’s huge success during that period. By the time he hung up his boots he had been top points scorer for the club in no less than 8 separate seasons, a quite remarkable achievement. He was to average 150 point for his first 6 seasons, with his most prolific season producing a haul of some 182 points. Quite a feat when, as mentioned previously, a try was only worth 3 points, and when kicking goals you were punting a heavy leather ball without the aid of a ‘tee’! Jim was also honoured with the Greens captaincy in 1961-2 something he was rightly proud of.

He also played for the South District throughout his career, winning the Inter District Championship on multiple occasions during that time, and playing in some quite memorable matches. His first cap for the South however came in somewhat unexpected circumstances!

While up at Burnfoot watching the PSA play Selkirk Youth Club, Pud Miller appeared on his shoulder. Unbeknown to Jim, Pud had been up at his house looking for him, and his mother had told him where Jim was! Asked if his boots were clean by Pud, Jim replied ‘I clean them after every game’! To which Miller replied ‘Well gan and get them, eve tae report tae the Victoria Hotel, (Hawick), you’re playing for the South against South Africa this efternin at Mansfield Park.

Jim put in a sound performance that afternoon, witnessing first hand the size and physicality of the mighty South African’s, and although the South went down 19-3, Jim said “we learnt a lot from the experience”.

In South colours, Jim would go on to face New Zealand in 1963-4, once again at Mansfield Park, when a tremendous South team which included 9 Hawick players, pushed Wilson Whineray’s all conquering All Blacks all the way, ultimately going down by only 8-0, (one try and a drop goal to nil). Jim’s opposite number that day being the legendary Don Clarke, and he certainly wasn’t phased by that, it being noted in dispatches that, “Gray’s fielding of the greasy ball was impeccable, and his kicking even outshone his opposite number Clarke”.

At the celebratory dinner that evening Jim had the chance to meet and talk with the great man, someone he much admired. Indeed that was part of the game Jim really enjoyed meeting the opposing teams and developing life long friendships with many of his South teammates from across the Borders.

However it was a couple of years later in season 1966-7 that Jim would find himself on the winning side against Southern Hemisphere opposition, that being when the South took on Australia, once again ‘on his own patch’ at Mansfield Park where they ran out winners by 13-0.

Although he was a prolific kicker for Hawick, and all three of these South games against the touring sides were on his home turf, Jim was never given the ball to have a kick at goal against South Africa or New Zealand, yet he took the kicks against Australia. Jim would later muse that, had he been given the chance to take the kicks against the Boks and the All Blacks, “we might still have lost the games, but being familiar with the pitch, if I could have kicked a goal or two, you never know”!

At the end of the 1966-7 season Jim was selected together with another 11 of his Hawick teammates, to go on the Scottish Borderers 4 match tour to South Africa in May ‘67 which he felt was a great tour and a terrific experience. Jim played well in the opening game against Noth Eastern Cape where he put in an excellent performance, in a 23-5 victory, however towards the end of that match he picked up an injury which sadly kept him out until the last game of the tour when he returned to face the mighty Natal province.

Despite missing two games, Jim revelled in the tour experience and remembered the tourists having great support at all the games, as the coloured South African supporters cheered the Borderers on against the completely white African teams!

Jim was also unlucky not to be capped for Scotland during his career. He was picked for two trials but recalls being up against Ken Scotland, Colin Blaikie and Ian Smith, and although many commented at the time that Jim was also up against the ‘old school tie’ factor, such was the mark of the man that Jim commented ‘In truth they had a bit more pace than me, however safe and secure my game was, that’s just the way it goes’!

Following retirement Jim went back to his beloved YM where after a spell coaching, he followed his long time friend Dougie Jackson as President of the club. A position he held for nigh on 14 years.

Jim is his own words simply loved the game, and would have relished the chance to make a career out of playing, albeit there are many areas of the modern game which frustrates him. Back in the 60’s we threw the ball wide and supported each other. We all knew our game plan and fed off each others strengths. With the pack we had together with the ability of our backs, it was really a very special time, but I dare say it was a different time.

Like many of his Hawick teammates of that era, Jim was approached to go to rugby league but he didn’t really consider it seriously, opting to stay in the Union game.

In more recent years Jim took great delight in watching his three grandsons Fraser and Calum Renwick together with Kyle Brunton running out at Mansfield Park and playing their part in the Greens terrific Premiership & Scottish Cup double triumph in season 2022-3, and again retaining the Scottish Cup the following season.

However he was always quick to point out that his allegiance wasn’t only to the Green, but also to the Blue & Gold as there couldn’t have been a prouder Papa than Jim when he witnessed grandsons Gareth (Renwick) & Connor (Brunton) proudly carry the banner blue as Hawick Cornets in their respective years.

All at Hawick RFC would like to send our kind thoughts and most sincere condolences to Jim and his late wife Margo’s beloved daughters, Lynn and Susan, son in laws Gus and Derek, grandsons Gareth, Fraser, Calum, Kyle, Connor and Paul and all the extended family, including Jim’s beloved great grand-bairns.

A life well lived, and a life lived to the full., thanks for the memories Jim.

Rest in peace Robbie Dye 🏉💚 MG