View source for David Johnston (rugby union, born 1958)

{{short description|Scottish rugby union player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name              = David Johnston
| image             =
| caption           =
| birth_name        = David Ian Johnston
| birth_date        = {{birth date and age|df=y|1958|10|20}}
| birth_place       = [[Edinburgh]], Scotland
| death_date        =
| death_place       =
| height            =
| weight            =
| ru_position       =
| ru_nationalteam   = {{nrut|Scotland}}
| ru_nationalyears  = 1979-86
| ru_nationalcaps   = 27
| ru_nationalpoints = 16
| ru_ntupdate       =
| ru_proclubs       =
| ru_clubyears      =
| ru_clubcaps       =
| ru_clubpoints     =
| ru_provinceyears  =
| ru_provincecaps   =
| ru_province1      =
| ru_provincepoints =
| ru_amateurclubs   = [[Watsonians RFC]]
| ru_amateuryears   =
| ru_coachclubs     = {{nrut|Scotland}} (asst. coach)
| ru_coachyears     = 1988-98
| occupation        =
| spouse            =
| children          =
| relatives         =
| school            =
| university        =
}}
'''David Ian Johnston''' (born 20 October 1958) is a Scottish former [[rugby union]] player. Johnston played 27 times at centre for the [[Scotland national rugby union team]]. He was formerly a commercial property partner in Burness Solicitors.
==Football==
Johnston attended [[George Watson's College]] in Edinburgh and played [[rugby union]], captaining the Scotland schoolboys team.<ref name = "football">{{cite news |url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/rugby/latest/david-johnston-on-pre-rugby-days-playing-for-hearts-1-2828006 |title=David Johnston on pre-rugby days playing for Hearts |work=The Scotsman|publisher=Johnston Publishing |date=9 March 2013 |accessdate=27 January 2014 |first=Aidan |last=Smith}}</ref> He also played [[association football|football]], even though his school didn't have football teams.<ref name = "football"/> Johnston attracted the attention of football scouts with his performances for the [[Hutchison Vale]] boys club.<ref name = "football"/> He signed for [[Heart of Midlothian F.C.|Heart of Midlothian]] in 1977 and made one appearance in a [[Scottish Football League First Division|First Division]] match against [[Dundee F.C.|Dundee]], but was substituted due to injury.<ref name = "football"/><ref name = "neil brown">{{NeilBrownPlayers|player9/davidjohnston|David Johnston}}</ref> He left Heart of Midlothian in 1978 and became a rugby player, while also studying for a law degree.<ref name = "football"/>
==Rugby==
Johnston joined [[Watsonians RFC]] after ending his football career.<ref name = "neil brown"/> He made his [[Scotland national rugby union team|Scotland]] debut on 10 November 1979 against [[New Zealand national rugby union team|New Zealand]] at [[Murrayfield Stadium|Murrayfield]]. Johnston was part of the Scotland team that won the [[Grand Slam (rugby union)|Grand Slam]] in the [[1984 Five Nations Championship]] and he scored a try in the win that year against [[England national rugby union team|England]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/25712975 |title=Celebrating Scotland's class of '84 |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC|date=27 January 2014 |accessdate=27 January 2014 |first=Colin |last=Moffat}}</ref> His final appearance came on 29 March 1986, against [[Romania national rugby union team|Romania]] in [[Bucharest]]. His career record was: played 27, won 14, drew 2 and lost 11 and he scored 4 tries.
He took on the role of assistant coach for the [[1988 Scotland rugby union tour of Zimbabwe]], working with [[Richie Dixon]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CjlAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OlkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4407%2C7225830 |title=Dixon a natural choice to tackle Scots' coaching post |first=Bill |last=McMurtrie |newspaper=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Glasgow Herald]] |page=40 |date=25 March 1988 |accessdate=3 October 2015}}</ref> Dixon and Johnson were sacked by the SRU in 1998.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-union-chalmers-keeps-fighting-for-possession-1145879.html |title=Rugby Union: Chalmers keeps fighting for possession |first=Tim |last=Glover |work=[[The Independent]] |date=20 February 1998 |accessdate=27 January 2014}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=3967 Player profile at Sporting Heroes]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnston, David}}
[[Category:1958 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Men's association football wingers]]
[[Category:Heart of Midlothian F.C. players]]
[[Category:Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale F.C. players]]
[[Category:People educated at George Watson's College]]
[[Category:Rugby union centres]]
[[Category:Rugby union players from Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Scotland international rugby union players]]
[[Category:Scottish Football League players]]
[[Category:Scottish men's footballers]]
[[Category:Scottish rugby union players]]
[[Category:Watsonian FC players]]
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