Home comforts key for Dobie

Home comforts key for Dobie

Even before the events of the last six weeks, the 2019/20 season was already one that’s going to live long in the memory of Jamie Dobie.

Signed to a
professional contract straight from school, the 18-year-old’s performances
across his debut campaign have been lighting up the Guinness PRO14, earning the
teenager the attention of rugby observers far and wide.

The man
himself, though? He’s taking everything in his stride.

“I’ve loved
every bit of this season so far,” Dobie smiles.

“I’ve learnt
a lot, and actually had more opportunities than I thought I would in terms of
game time. It’s been a really good first year so far. From a great pre-season
all the way through, I’ve had some good chances in some tough games and it’s
been brilliant.”

The
scrum-half’s favourite memory of the season to date will doubtless come as no
surprise to the Warrior Nation, either. With a man-of-the-match medal by which
to remember his first start at Scotstoun, February’s victory over the Dragons remains
uppermost in Dobie’s mind.

“[The
Dragons game] would definitely be the highlight,” said Dobie.

“It
obviously didn’t start ideally, but to be able to bounce back and put in a
decent performance for the rest of the game was great. The fact it was a
sustained performance, too, and not just 15 or 20 minutes off the bench was really
pleasing.”

With the
Guinness PRO14 remaining suspended until further notice, however, the teenager
will need to wait for his next outing in a Glasgow jersey. Not that the
scrum-half is sitting idle, though.

“I’m
currently back home with my family up in Inverness,” explains Dobie.

“My brother
and sister have both got university work to be doing, so my mum’s been making
the most of the time I’ve got on my hands at the moment and getting me to help
her with the garden!”


“I’ve been
working through the sessions our S&C staff have set us too, although I don’t
have an awful lot of equipment up here – I’ve had to get a bit creative with a
few of the exercises! We’ve got a lot of wood and stones, and I’ve been using
them as weights for some of the gym work. We’re also lucky that we’re just
outside of Inverness and surrounded by fields, country roads and so on, so I’ve
been running quite a bit to stay active.

“The amount
of exercises that you can do just with your body weight is a lot higher than I’d
realised to be honest. I definitely prefer to wake up a bit first though! I’ll
usually get round to my fitness stuff in the afternoon. Ideally I’d get it out
the way earlier, but that’s not happened so far…”

The
pandemic-enforced break from action has also allowed the former Scotland U18
captain to return to the world of music, dusting off the bagpipes as a way to
fill his spare time.

“I said when
I came up here that I was going to pick [the bagpipes] up again,” said Dobie.

“I played
them when I was younger, but it’s fallen away a bit since turning pro and
moving to Glasgow. I’ve started to pick them up again, so hopefully I’ll make a
wee bit of progress with that. It’s hard to get back into the rhythm of it, but
fingers crossed!”

Whilst Dobie’s
main focus, like all associated with the club, is helping to flatten the curve,
the thought of returning to a sold-out Scotstoun in front of the Warrior Nation
is one that’s never far from the forefront of the mind. Yet the scrum-half is
continuing to keep his spirits high, as well as ensuring that the current
government measures don’t mean total social isolation for those most at-risk.

“Staying in
contact with those who need it most is the big thing, I’d say,” underlined
Dobie.

“There are
obviously elderly people and those that will be living on their own, so keeping
in touch with them is important.

“I’d also say
stay active as much as you can, because the physical and mental benefits are
key.

“Stay safe,
and we’ll see you all at Scotstoun when this is all over.”

Jamie’s top 3… Home-cooked dinners

Steak

Stir-fry

Salmon and rice

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