As Australians playing rugby in Glasgow, Jack Dempsey and Sione Tuipulotu are riding the wave of former Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou’s success with Celtic.
“Any time I am out in Glasgow I tell them me and Ange grew up together, or he’s my uncle. That gets me free drinks almost everywhere,” Dempsey laughs.
The problem, Dempsey says, is most of their club teammates at the Glasgow Warriors support Rangers, so negotiating the ins and outs of that bitter rivalry is a developing skill.
So too the other ancient and bitter rivalry that exists in Scottish sport and beyond, one that Dempsey and Tuipulotu will both take part in this weekend: Scotland versus England.
Dempsey, the 28-year-old former Wallaby who switched allegiances to Scotland last year, will make his Six Nations debut on Sunday morning in his adopted country’s biggest Test of the year.
The men in blue travel to London to take on England at Twickenham, where Scotland will gun for a third straight win over the English for the first time in over 50 years.
Jack Dempsey tackling Hunter Paisami during the November international at Murrayfield.Credit:Getty
Continuing a whirlwind adventure for Dempsey that began with his Scotland debut against the Wallabies in November, the ex-Waratah’s first live experience of a Calcutta Cup match will be playing in it.
“It’s a cliche but it still hasn’t sunk in for me personally,” Dempsey said.
“I played four Tests in autumn, and made my debut against Australia. When the team got named this week, and I was lucky enough to be in it, you just pinch yourself, thinking ‘how is this Sydney boy, who was lucky enough to live his dream of playing for his state and the Wallabies, then a few years later get to play in the bloody Six Nations’.”
After an Australian career that saw him play for the Waratahs between 2015 and 2021, and 14 Tests for the Wallabies — including at the 2019 Rugby World Cup — Dempsey moved to Glasgow in 2021 for a change.
Jack Dempsey playing for the Wallabies at the 2019 Rugby World Cup.Credit:Getty
He had no plans to play for Scotland, and in any case World Rugby laws didn’t allow it at the time. It was only after he had been there several months that World Rugby changed their eligibility laws to allow players to switch allegiances, providing they had the necessary heritage and had served a three-year Test stand-down.
Dempsey could now qualify to play for Scotland via his maternal grandfather. When he was weighing up whether to return home for a shot at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, he spoke with both Dave Rennie and Scotland rugby officials.
“I went with my gut and decided to stay and have a crack with Scotland,” he said.
After his three-year exile expired last year, the stars aligned as a rib injury kept him out until Australia were in town.
Dempsey switched to Scotland via new World Rugby laws.Credit:Getty
“It was very mixed emotions,” Dempsey said.
“All of a sudden that (first) game is not only against the gold jersey, the jersey I’d worn proudly at a schoolboy, 20s and senior level with the Wallabies.
“But also the guys who were wearing it, mates like Jakey Gordon, Ned Hanigan, Jed Holloway, Andrew Kellaway … guys I had played my whole career with, and even as kids. There was so much going on.”
In an immediate test of Dempsey’s inner allegiance, Australia won a nail-biter after Scotland missed a last-minute penalty. He found himself gutted by the “bitter” feeling.
Dempsey said the England-Scotland rivalry “brings backs vibes of the Bledisloe Cup and those sort of things” but even Aussies and Kiwis will acknowledge the roots of a trans-Tasman rivalry aren’t in the same ballpark.
But while the Scottish camp don’t do fire and brimstone, Dempsey said he had spoken with other players and soaked up what it means to beat England.
Elsewhere in the Six Nations, Canberra-raised Mack Hansen and Finlay Bealham will both start for Ireland in their clash with Wales in Cardiff on Sunday morning (AEDT).
Ireland are favourites to win the tournament ahead of France, who play Italy on Monday morning.
Watch all the action from the Six Nations on Stan Sport. Round 1 kicks off Sunday with Wales v Ireland (1.05am AEDT), England v Scotland (3.35am AEDT) and Italy v France (1.50am AEDT).
