'He is fully converted now. I brought him over'
Former Australia international Jack Dempsey has “fully converted” his father to the Scotland cause as he prepares for his second World Cup with a different team.
Dempsey admitted last year that his father was not too impressed with his decision to switch allegiances to Scotland ahead of his debut for Gregor Townsend’s side in the autumn internationals.
The 29-year-old flanker qualified for Scotland through his maternal grandfather, who hailed from Glasgow, and he joined the city’s Warriors in 2021 before extending his contract this summer.
A trip to Edinburgh for two Guinness Six Nations games saw Dempsey’s father fully embrace the move.
Speaking from Scotland’s pre-World Cup training camp in the south of France, Dempsey said: “He is fully converted now. I brought him over. My uncle, my dad and my mum, they all came over during the Six Nations and got to experience that for the first time.
“Back in Australia there is nothing like the Six Nations in terms of the spectacle and all the history of the rivalry for such a long time.
“To see that and be part of the atmosphere at Murrayfield, it was the Ireland and Italy games… My dad was fully kitted out, head to toe, I gave him all the kit. He was singing the anthem. He didn’t know the words but I think he was just making them up.
“He loved it, mate. He is fully on board. And mum, with her Scottish links, has always been on board.”
Dempsey is looking to banish painful memories of Japan 2019 and he is joined by many of his team-mates.
The back-row forward, who is gearing up for pool games against Ireland, South Africa, Tonga and Romania, said: “It was disappointing in that campaign in ’19 with Australia. We got pretty beaten up in the quarter-final by England and sent home quick.
“It’s something you have been building for since you were 12 or 13, and every four years you sit down with your family and watch the World Cup. It’s the pinnacle of the sport.
“You build as a professional with that as the aim and to get that far and fall so short and be disappointed…
“To get a second crack at that, obviously for me it’s a different environment completely, but it’s something you want to rectify.
“That’s what drives you, not only to make it but be successful and look back when you are 40, 50, 60 years old and have fond memories.”
Dempsey has been sharing World Cup memories with Scotland players who went out after the pool stage.
“I remember watching when Hamish (Watson) did his knee, we were all watching in the Australia squad,” he said.
“That was a big loss and they had some disappointing results against Ireland and Japan.
“Four years on there is that Scottish sense of humour, they look back with that dark sense of humour. But it still drives a lot of the individuals who are still part of the group.
“A lot of people say those results are why we have such a hard group now. But we like being the underdog and be able to prove the haters wrong and that’s the position we are in and we look forward to the challenge.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Who listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
40 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
40 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
39 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
1 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
40 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to comments