Cam Redpath on World Cup dream, emulating Dad and being ‘a Manchester United ultra’

Cam Redpath would love to emulate his father Bryan and play for Scotland at a Rugby World Cup but he will put thoughts of France on the backburner on Wednesday as heads to Murrayfield to support Manchester United.

Cam Redpath during a Scotland training session at the Hive Stadium, in Edinburgh. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

The Bath centre, in Edinburgh for a national squad training camp, is a lifelong supporter of the Red Devils and jokes about being a “Stretford End ultra”. United, playing in Scotland for the first time since facing Rangers in the Champions League in 2010, are taking on Olympique Lyonnais in a pre-season friendly at the home of Scottish rugby. Redpath grew up in the Manchester area while Bryan was at Sale Sharks and his affection for United is shared by some of his Scotland team-mates, most notably Hamish Watson, so there will be a decent contingent at Murrayfield.

“We’ve got the day off so I will definitely be there,” said Redpath. “As soon as that got announced, I texted Edgey [David Edge], the team manager. and said, if I’m in this squad, please get me tickets! I’ve never seen them in Scotland before. I’ve watched them at Old Trafford a lot. It’s pre-season so it will be mixed teams, but I’m very excited. Hamish is a big Man United fan so he’s coming too – there are about 10 of us going in total. If we can sign this keeper [Andre Onana] and a striker, I’ll be happy. Mason Mount is a good signing. I’m a big Man Utd fan so I love to get involved. I do like to get in the Stretford End and be a proper ultra!”

A creative inside centre whose distribution and vision have made him a real favourite of Scotland coach Gregor Townsend, Redpath was also a talented football player in his youth. He was good enough to catch the eye of West Bromwich Albion and spent a couple of years in the club’s academy before deciding to concentrate on rugby. West Brom’s loss has been Scotland’s gain and the 23-year-old has no regrets about opting for the oval ball.

Bryan Redpath, Cam's dad, in action during the Rugby World Cup Pool B match between Scotland and Fiji at Aussie Stadium in Sydney in November 2003. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

“Back in the day I was alright [at football],” said Redpath. “I was in the West Brom academy for a while, but then I got a bit older and clumsier and liked the contact too much so had to quit it for rugby. I still love it and any chance I get now I do love to play but I never would have made it, I was far too slow for that. I was a centre-mid. I was in the West Brom set-up when I was maybe 12 or 13, then I went to high school on a scholarship for rugby and it wasn’t ideal for carrying on with football on a Sunday, so that’s when I quit. Then, when I moved back up north with my dad taking the job at Sale, I didn’t actually play for a rugby club because my school in Manchester was decent at rugby, so I took up football again with a club just down the road from our home in Manchester, and I was a striker then. I played in the B team in my first year and was banging goals in left, right and centre, which I loved. That brought the passion back. I’ve always been a Manchester United fan.”

His passion for rugby remains strong despite some horrendous injury setbacks, and playing at this autumn’s World Cup would mean everything to him. Dad Bryan featured in the tournaments of 1995, 1999 and 2003, captaining Scotland in the latter in Australia where he was cheered on by a special young fan. “I was actually there in 2003 as a three-year-old with my brother, sister, mum and grandparents,” explained Cam. “It was special and looking back on the photos of me in a Scotland shirt, it would mean the world to me now, something that I would love to do. For me as a kid growing up, my dad has his caps on the wall at home. He went to three World Cups, he’s got them all on the wall so it would be pretty cool to add mine and do the same one day.”

Townsend named an initial training squad of 41 but this will be trimmed to 33 for the tournament and competition for places will be fierce, particularly at centre. Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones were the first-choice pairing throughout the Six Nations and combined to produce some sublime attacking moments. Chris Harris, so long a defensive bulwark for the national side, will be looking to dislodge the Glasgow partnership, as will Redpath and the uncapped Stafford McDowall. “We’ve all got different attributes but I 100 per cent back myself; that if I’m needed in a big moment, I can rely on myself and do it,” added the five-times capped Redpath. “It’s about taking the opportunity when I get it. When boys are playing well, it’s about when it will come. I guess it always comes for everyone – the game we play, there are injuries and bad spells. It will come at some point, I’ve just got to bide my time and keep grafting.”

Opportunities for all five are likely to come over the next few weeks as Scotland play four warm-up matches, beginning with Italy at Murrayfield on July 29, continuing with home and away fixtures against France and ending back in Edinburgh with a match versus Georgia. Redpath is eager to seize his chance and ensure he is on the plane for the tournament itself which kicks off for the Scots against holders South Africa in Marseille on September 10. “I’m trying to back myself,” he said. “If I put my best foot forward and do everything I can, after that it’s down to the coaches. If I don’t get picked, obviously I will be absolutely devastated but it’s something that I can’t control if I know I’ve done everything I can and trained well.”