Tim Visser will not play for Scotland again
Wing Tim Visser has called time on his Scotland career, announcing his retirement from international rugby this morning.
Born in Zeewolde, Netherlands, the 6’5, 109kg wing scored 14 tries in 33 appearances in a five-year spell for his adopted country that began after qualifying on residency grounds in 2012.
Visser told Scottish Rugby’s official website: “Playing for Scotland has been the biggest honour of my life. I feel it has been even more special by not being my country of birth but where I had grown to call home.
“Being asked to play for a top nation in world rugby and being accepted by my teammates as one of their own has been incredible.
“I can still remember my home debut against the All Blacks at BT Murrayfield as if it were yesterday and the emotions that it brought me. However International rugby brings many challenges and, with a young family, the time away from home has been hard.
“I also feel that Scotland is in a fantastic place with some great young talent coming through and now is my time to free up the space for them to develop.
“I want to thank everyone associated with Scottish rugby and of course my family and my wife Laura for supporting me through it all.
“Six incredible years with Edinburgh has led me down to Harlequins and I feel now is the time to say goodbye to international rugby and concentrate on my club career.”
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Visser marked his Scotland debut with a brace of tries against Fiji in Lautoka that year and repeated the feat in his third cap against New Zealand at BT Murrayfield, as Scotland crossed the whitewash against the All Blacks for the first time in seven years.
The following year he started all of Scotland’s RBS 6 Nations matches and marked his home debut at BT Murrayfield – against Italy – with a try, concluding the Championship with his sixth try for Scotland in 10 Tests – against France in Paris.
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After running out in two Summer tour Tests, his international involvement was curtailed by a leg fracture sustained in the domestic season. He did, however return a year later in the first game of Scotland’s 2014 summer tour and scored his seventh try for Scotland as the USA were beaten 24-6.
Visser remained a potent part of Scotland squads ever since, dotting down twice against Italy in Scotland’s 48-7 Summer Test win at BT Murrayfield to secure a place in the squad for the Rugby World Cup 2015, where he featured twice and scored a vital try after the break against USA.
Tim returned to the fold in the 2016 RBS 6 Nations and, after missing out on the opening two games, started the remaining three, registering a vital score (his 11th) in the home win over France.
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Tim missed out on the summer tour that year but returned in the autumn and the RBS 6 Nations in 2017, scoring two tries (against Wales and Italy) in his three appearances, and again in Scotland’s 2017 summer tour Tests against Italy and Fiji to finish on an impressive 48% strike rate.
Scotland Head Coach, Gregor Townsend, said: “I’d like to pay tribute to Tim who made and excellent impact on Scotland and did very well at an international level for his adopted country.
“Obviously it’s disappointing that we won’t be able to call on his services for the next couple of seasons, but we have a number of players that are competing hard and have come through in that position over the past 12 months who now have an opportunity now that Tim is no longer available to Scotland.
“We wish him all the best with his club career.”
2⃣ – Tim Visser crossed for 2⃣ tries against New Zealand in his first appearance at Murrayfield for Scotland, one of just two @Scotlandteam players to score a brace of tries against the All Blacks (also Doddie Weir at the 1995 RWC). Double. pic.twitter.com/oL2j0DlskT
— OptaJonny (@OptaJonny) May 3, 2018
Comments on RugbyPass
Should've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to comments