Jim Calder, a legend of the Scottish game, has today been announced as the new chairman of Edinburgh Rugby Club.
The 53-year-old former flanker, who was a pivotal figure in Scotland’s 1984 Grand Slam, made 57 inter-district appearances for Edinburgh during the 1970s and 80s and will now help drive the relationship between the pro-team and the wider community.
Calder, a respected figure within the game and the capital city’s business community, professed himself “delighted and honoured” to be taking on the role, which sees him in place for the first Magners League game of the season, away to Cardiff Blues (Saturday 4 September, kick-off 6.30pm).
In an exclusive interview available as a podcast on Black and Red Radio below, Calder said: “It’s a tremendous honour to take the reins at a time when so many positive things are happening at the club. There is a real opportunity to build on our position as a focal point for rugby and commercial activity in the city, and I look forward to working with Chief Executive Craig Docherty and the other members of the community board to ensure that happens.”
Docherty, meanwhile, hailed the arrival of Calder as a significant step in the process of strengthening the club’s ties with its stakeholders in the city. He said: “It’s fantastic to be able to welcome an individual of Jim’s calibre and standing to the club. He has exactly the sort of personality and presence that’s required in the position, and I have every confidence that he will play a major role in driving the club forward.
“In terms of opening doors and winning respect, his rugby pedigree will put him at a considerable advantage.”
LISTEN TO THE JIM CALDER PODCAST ON BLACK AND RED RADIO BELOW
Calder, a blindside flanker, won 27 caps for Scotland between 1981 and 1985. A combative presence on the left side of the scrum, he weighed in with three tries in this period, most famously in the win over France at Murrayfield that went some way to sealing what was only the second Grand Slam in the nation’s history
Calder’s twin, Finlay, was a major part of the side that completed a third clean sweep six years later, but the brothers never played in the same Scotland team. Each represented the British and Irish Lions, Jim playing in the third test against New Zealand in Dunedin in 1983 and Finlay captaining the 1989 expedition to Australia.
The Calder name is now represented by Jim’s son Lewis, who captained Stewart’s Melville to glory in the Bell Lawrie Scottish Schools Cup in 2006 before spells with Newcastle Falcons and Exeter Chiefs. Also a back-row forward, the one-time Scotland under-20 captain is now with London Scottish.
Since hanging up his boots, Jim has been involved in several capacities with his old club Stewart’s Melville, as well as running his own headhunting firm in the capital.
Gavin Hastings, his predecessor as Edinburgh chairman, has accepted an invitation to remain on the club’s community board and will continue to act as both advisor and ambassador.
The legendary former full-back said: “It’s been a real privilege to represent my city and my club over the past three years, and I look forward to working with Jim as he takes Edinburgh forward. It’s tremendous for the club to have on board someone of his stature and charisma and I know he has a lot to offer.
“I’ve learned a huge amount in my time as chairman and am keen to assist Jim in any way I can. Having seen how much Edinburgh have grown in the last three years, I’m convinced that Jim’s arrival is another step in the right direction.”
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