JIMMY Nichol, the former Royal High and Scotland scrum-half, has died in an Edinburgh nursing home at the age of 71.
Nichol, who as well as being a talented rugby player was also an athlete of note, turned out for Royal HSFP between 1952 and 1961 during which time he played 117 games, scoring 22 tries, and also collected a winner’s medal at the 1961 Melrose Sevens.
A Chartered Surveyor, Nichol represented Scotland three times in 1955, being on the winning side against Wales and Ireland at Murrayfield, but losing to England at Twickenham. Nichol scored against Wales and featured in a cartoon in the Edinburgh Evening News, the ball having squirted out the Welsh scrum on their line, Nichol just having to tap it down, almost apologetically.
A fast and strong runner, Nichol also helped the Britee brothers Andrew and Bill and Colin Campbell, when appearing for Royal High Athletic Club, set a new Scottish record for the 4 x 100 yards relay.
"Jimmy was a multi-talented sportsman, and he could have won more caps," said Hugh McKenzie, a club-mate of Nichol and former president of the rugby club. "But he could not be bothered with all the extra hassle and he informed the SRU he did not want to be considered for any more games. He stopped playing quite young and went abroad to pursue his business career."