There is a strong sporting pedigree to the Warriors No 10’s family and now he’s excelling in the Pro14
Glasgow fly-half Ross Thompson
Date of birth 10 April 1999 Born Edinburgh Position Fly-half Club Glasgow Warriors Country Scotland
When did you first play rugby?
Three or four – as soon as my dad could get me into it! That was mini rugby at Stew Mel Lions on a Sunday, then I moved to Stewart’s Melville from 12 or 13.
Did you play any other sports?
I played a lot of football and some racket sports as well, badminton. But it was mainly rugby and football, which I stopped at 16.
What positions have you played?
Centre until I was 16, then I moved to fly-half and I’ve been there ever since.
What are your strengths?
Kicking is a big one, and my distribution. I’m always working on my defence and my running game. I want to be a bit more dominant in the tackle and a threat with ball in hand.
When did you link up with Glasgow Warriors?
I came across to Glasgow for uni and joined Glasgow Hawks. A teacher knew Fin Gillies, the coach at the time, and put us in touch, and he really helped me a lot.
On the back of a couple of games for Hawks I trained with Glasgow a couple of times and after that, in my second year of uni, I became a Stage Three academy player.
Are you still studying?
Yes. It’s taking five years to do a four-year course as I went part-time so did two years over three years due to the increase in rugby. I’m doing law. I enjoy it; it’s something quite different outside of rugby.
How have you found the step up to the Pro14?
Really good. I’m lucky with the players I’ve had around me – it’s made it a lot easier. There are great stand-offs here, so I pick up little things from them.
Who was your childhood hero?
Chris Paterson was one. When I played centre, I looked up to Brian O’Driscoll. He was never the biggest but he was pretty skilful and that’s what I strive to be.
What are your long-term goals?
I want to push on here and get as much experience as I can. I’d love to play for Scotland one day as well.
RW Verdict: His grandad (cricket) and uncle (rugby league) played for Scotland, while his cousin, Kirsty Gilmour, (badminton) has won two Commonwealth Games medals. His Pro14 form suggests Thompson is destined for success too.
This article originally appeared in the May 2021 edition of Rugby World magazine.
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