JT Jackson

JT Jackson
Full nameJohn Thomas Jackson
Date of birth (1996-07-10) 10 July 1996 (age 28)
Place of birthCalvinia, South Africa
Height1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight100 kg (15 st 10 lb; 220 lb)
SchoolHoër Landbouskool Oakdale, Riversdal
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre / Fly-half
Current team Southern Kings
Youth career
2009–2014 SWD Eagles
2015–2017 Blue Bulls
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2015 UP Tuks 7 (15)
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2016–2019 Blue Bulls XV 18 (62)
2017–2018 Blue Bulls 16 (17)
2018–2019 Bulls 3 (0)
2019-2020 Southern Kings 9 (15)
2021- Rouen 38 (33)
Correct as of 11 July 2019
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2014 South Africa Schools 3 (10)
2015–2016 South Africa Under-20 7 (5)
Correct as of 13 April 2018

John Thomas Jackson (born 10 July 1996) is a South African rugby union player for Rouen Normandie Rugby in the Pro D2.[1] His usually plays as either an inside or outside centre, but he has also occasionally played fly-half in the past.

Rugby career

2009–2014 : Schoolboy rugby / SWD

Jackson was born in Calvinia, but grew up in Riversdal in the Western Cape, representing the SWD Eagles at various youth levels. He earned a provincial selection as early as primary school level, when he played as a fly-half at the Under-13 Craven Week held in Kimberley in 2009.[2] He was the top scorer for SWD at the Under-16 Grant Khomo Week in 2012, scoring a try, seven conversions and three penalties for a total of 28 points in his three starts,[3] at the Under-18 Academy Week in 2013, when he scored 20 points through four conversions and four penalties,[4] and at the Under-18 Craven Week in 2014, scoring two tries, six conversions and two penalties for another 28-points haul.[5]

At the conclusion of the 2014 Craven Week, he was also named in a South Africa Schools team hosted three matches in an Under-18 International Series. Jackson started all three matches; after featuring in a 28–13 victory over France,[6] he scored one try in each of their matches against Wales[7] and England.[8]

2015 : Blue Bulls, Tuks and South Africa Under-20

After school, Jackson relocated to Pretoria, where he was amongst the Blue Bulls Academy intake prior to the 2015 season.[9] He joined the UP Tuks rugby team – the Pretoria-based university side affiliated to the Blue Bulls Academy – for their 2015 Varsity Cup campaign. After playing off the bench in two matches, Jackson established himself in the starting line-up for the remaining five matches of the season. He scored tries in their matches against CUT Ixias,[10] UJ[11] and in their semi-final defeat to NWU Pukke.[12]

Jackson was named in a 37-man training squad for the South Africa national under-20 rugby union team[13] and started for them in a friendly match against a Varsity Cup Dream Team in April 2015.[14] He was then included in the squad that embarked on a two-match tour of Argentina.[15] He started both of their matches against Argentina helping them to a 25–22 victory in the first match[16] and a 39–28 victory in the second match four days later.[17] Upon the team's return to South Africa, he was named in the final squad for the 2015 World Rugby Under 20 Championship.[18] He started their 33–5 win against hosts Italy[19] and their 40–8 win against Samoa[20] in their first two pool matches. However, he dropped out of the squad for their 46–13 win over Australia in the final pool match[21] and also didn't feature in their 20–28 loss to England in the semi-final[22] or their third-place play-off match against France, where South Africa achieved a 31–18 win to secure third place in the competition.[23]

Jackson returned to domestic action in South Africa, appearing in all fourteen of the Blue Bulls U19' matches in the Group A of the 2015 Under-19 Provincial Championship.[24] While Tinus de Beer was the main goal-kicker for the team, Jackson also contributed 50 points with the boot during the competition, in addition to scoring tries against Golden Lions U19,[25] Free State U19 (first in an away match[26] and then in the return leg at home),[27] Western Province U19[28] and the Sharks U19[29] during the regular season, as well as in their semi-final match against Western Province in a 30–29 victory.[30] Jackson also played in the final, but could not help his side to winning the championship, with Eastern Province U19 winning 25–23 in Johannesburg.[31]

2016 : Blue Bulls and South Africa Under-20

In March 2016, Jackson was again included in a South Africa Under-20 training squad,[32] also making the cut for a reduced provisional squad named a week later.[33]

In between training with the team, he returned to the Blue Bulls to make two appearances for them in the 2016 Currie Cup qualification series; he made his domestic first class debut by starting in a 20–17 victory over a Free State XV[34] and also started their 17–38 defeat to Gauteng rivals the Golden Lions XV a week later.[35]

On 10 May 2016, he was included in the final South Africa Under-20 squad for the 2016 World Rugby Under 20 Championship tournament to be held in Manchester, England.[36] He started their opening match in Pool C of the tournament as South Africa came from behind to beat Japan 59–19,[37] and played off the bench in their next pool match as South Africa were beaten 13–19 by Argentina.[38] He was restored to the starting line-up for their final pool match, as South Africa bounced back from their defeat to secure a 40-31 bonus-point victory over France[39] to secure a semi-final place as the best runner-up in the competition. He started the semi-final, as South Africa faced three-time champions England. The hosts proving too strong for South Africa, knocking them out of the competition with a 39–17 victory.[40] Jackson also started against Argentina in the third-place play-off match, but suffered their second defeat to Argentina in the tournament, convincingly being beaten 49–19[41] to finish in fourth place in the competition.

Jackson made one further start for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup qualification series after returning to domestic action, starting in a 95–12 win over Namibian invitational side the Welwitschias.[42]

Jackson was then named in their squad for the 2016 Currie Cup Premier Division.[43]

References

  1. ^ "SA Rugby Player Profile – JT Jackson". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  2. ^ "SA Rugby Squad – SWD : 2009 U13 Craven Week". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  3. ^ "SA Rugby Top Scorers – 2012 U16 Grant Khomo Week". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  4. ^ "SA Rugby Top Scorers – 2013 U18 Academy Week". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  5. ^ "SA Rugby Top Scorers – 2014 U18 Craven Week". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  6. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – SA Schools 28–13 France U18". South African Rugby Union. 15 August 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  7. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – SA Schools 40–15 Wales U18". South African Rugby Union. 19 August 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  8. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – SA Schools 22–30 England U18". South African Rugby Union. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  9. ^ "Under 19s welcomed to the Vodacom Blue Bulls family" (Press release). Blue Bulls. 5 January 2015. Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  10. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB UP - TUKS 63–8 FNB CUT". South African Rugby Union. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  11. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB UJ 0–34 FNB UP - TUKS". South African Rugby Union. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  12. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB UP - TUKS 28–29 FNB NWU-PUKKE". South African Rugby Union. 30 March 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  13. ^ "Junior Bok training squad confirmed". South African Rugby Union. 4 April 2015. Archived from the original on 29 July 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  14. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Varsity Cup XV 24–31 South Africa U/20". South African Rugby Union. 21 April 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  15. ^ "SARU names Junior Bok squad for Argentine tour". South African Rugby Union. 29 April 2015. Archived from the original on 29 July 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  16. ^ "Los Pumitas cayeron ante Baby Boks por 25 a 22". Unión Argentina de Rugby (in Spanish). 12 May 2015. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
  17. ^ "Los Pumitas cayeron ante Baby Boks por 39 a 28". Unión Argentina de Rugby (in Spanish). 16 May 2015. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
  18. ^ "Liebenberg to lead Junior Boks at U20 World Champs". South African Rugby Union. 20 May 2015. Archived from the original on 29 July 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  19. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Italy U20 5–33 South Africa U20". South African Rugby Union. 2 June 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  20. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 40–8 Samoa U20". South African Rugby Union. 6 June 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  21. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 46–13 Australia U20". South African Rugby Union. 10 June 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  22. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 20–28 England U20". South African Rugby Union. 15 June 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  23. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – France U20 18–31 South Africa U20". South African Rugby Union. 20 June 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  24. ^ "SA Rugby Top Scorers – 2015 Absa Under 19 Competition". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  25. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Golden Lions U19 15–31 Blue Bulls U19". South African Rugby Union. 10 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  26. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Free State U19 24–42 Blue Bulls U19". South African Rugby Union. 8 August 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  27. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Blue Bulls U19 57–21 Free State U19". South African Rugby Union. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  28. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Western Province U19 53–20 Blue Bulls U19". South African Rugby Union. 18 September 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  29. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Sharks U19 20–31 Blue Bulls U19". South African Rugby Union. 25 September 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  30. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Blue Bulls U19 30–29 Western Province U19". South African Rugby Union. 16 October 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  31. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Eastern Province U19 25–23 Blue Bulls U19". South African Rugby Union. 24 October 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  32. ^ "Large group invited to Junior Springbok trials camp". South African Rugby Union. 24 March 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  33. ^ "Theron names provisional Junior Springbok squad". South African Rugby Union. 1 April 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  34. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Vodacom Blue Bulls 20–17 Toyota Free State XV". South African Rugby Union. 16 April 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  35. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Xerox Golden Lions XV 38–17 Vodacom Blue Bulls". South African Rugby Union. 23 April 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  36. ^ "Ward to lead Junior Springboks in England". South African Rugby Union. 10 May 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  37. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 59–19 Japan U20". South African Rugby Union. 7 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  38. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 13–19 Argentina U20". South African Rugby Union. 11 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  39. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 40–31 France U20". South African Rugby Union. 15 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  40. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – England U20 39–17 South Africa U20". South African Rugby Union. 20 June 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  41. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Argentina U20 49–19 South Africa U20". South African Rugby Union. 25 June 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  42. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Vodacom Blue Bulls 95–12 Windhoek Draught Welwitschias". South African Rugby Union. 15 July 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  43. ^ "SA Rugby Squad – Vodacom Blue Bulls : 2016 Currie Cup Premier Division". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 19 July 2016.