New kid on Team GB block Jardine taking his chances

Dubai, 2024. Sweltering under the desert sun. It’s the first game of a brand new HSBC SVNS season and Great Britain are trailing Ireland by seven. The clock is in the red – next whistle and the game is over.

Head coach Tony Roques calls upon a fresh-faced rookie by the name of Sunni Jardine, who jumps off the subs bench, picks up the ball up at a ruck and runs 50 metres to score under the posts. Wham. The game is tied with the conversion.

But so raw was Jardine’s fledgling sevens career, that he assumed the game had ended. “I didn’t actually know games went to extra time, I thought it was over, take the point,” he remembered. “We’re in a huddle and I turn to Harry Glover and I’m like, ‘what’s going on here, mate?’. And then – all of a sudden – we’re back out there and into it! Glover scores, and we win!”

So, sure, there were some sevens rules to swot up on (more on enforcing the law later), but it was clear from that grab of the ball and 50-metre pelt in Dubai that Sunni Jardine is a young man who takes his chances.

It wasn’t the first indication, though. As a teenager representing his school, Jardine and his teammates found themselves up against Dulwich College, a massive force in schoolboy rugby. 

They were outgunned and couldn’t win, but acquitted themselves pretty well. Jardine took it upon himself to chat to the Dulwich coach after the match and ask about admissions. Next thing, he’s offered a place at one of the most prestigious rugby schools in the country, on a scholarship. Chance taken.

The University of Birmingham followed, to study modern languages. Now fluent in French, and “I get by pretty well” in Spanish, Jardine spent a year in Bayonne, in southwest France, teaching English and playing local club rugby and some Fédérale 1. 

“I was playing decent rugby and working as an English teacher. I had a great time, absolutely loved it. I wanted to stay – but I was encouraged to go back to Birmingham and finish my degree,” he said.

A friendship with England and GB Sevens player Femi Sofalarin was crucial to Jardine taking his next big rugby chance: a one-time Quins Academy and Dulwich First XV teammate, Sofolarin suggested Jardine target GB Sevens. 

“Femi was actually kind of like an agent for me as well as a really good GB player himself – he scored a winning try to help GB into the LA Cup Final last season. He said I’d be well suited to the game of sevens. So I came in for a few training sessions and it went from there.”

It certainly did. Last summer, Jardine made his Great Britain Sevens debut at the Rugby Europe event in Croatia. He would end up finishing the tournament as the team’s top try-scorer. 

After that, Jardine decided to embark on another life challenge – to train as an officer for the Metropolitan Police. He now balances work as a police constable in South London with his sevens commitments.

“I really enjoy being a police officer. You feel you can make a big difference to people,” he said. “When I’m not on blue lights responding to calls, I’m out in the neighbourhood helping people, like homeless people who might suffer with drug and alcohol issues for example, and helping them with connections so they can get some help. 

“It’s really fulfilling. And it’s quite fun when I come in for breakfast at sevens training and tell the boys some stories of what’s been going on at work the night before.”

Which must include some pretty scary moments?

“Playing against Fiji and New Zealand in sevens – I would probably say that’s a little bit scarier!”

After that dazzling debut try in Dubai, Jardine has quickly become a key part of the GB team, now a regular starter and travelling the world to play. 

It’s a far cry from schoolboy rugby in South London, growing up with a mum and sister who didn’t follow the game all that closely. 

“Mum absolutely loves [the sevens] now. She is the most amazing and supportive person in the world,” Jardine said. “She stays up and watches all the matches regardless of where I’m playing. And I’m flying around the world to amazing places, like Hong Kong, which was absolutely the best place I’ve played so far – I loved it.”

With a solid gap between this weekend’s tournament in Singapore and the Championship-decider in Los Angeles, is there a chance the GB boys might get a night out on Sunday? And might PC Jardine be forced to keep a close eye? 

“Singapore is outside of my jurisdiction, so they can do what they like,” he laughed. “But no, seriously, the boys know me well enough and what I do for a job – they know how to behave!”

It looks like they do – it’s clear that the focus for not just Jardine, but the whole team, is now a new Olympic cycle to Los Angeles 2028.

“It’s obviously a hard thing to do but we have the mindset we can go and win tournaments if we get it right. While it’s a massive relief to have that top eight secured we feel we have so much more to give, and beating the higher ranked teams is definitely on when we put our best game together. I’d love to play in an Olympic Games.”

And if there is a chance to do so, odds-on Sunni Jardine will take it.