Jim Platt started his athletic career as a hockey player and cross country runner. Coached in High School by the legendary Hec Creighton, Jim was a phenomenal cross country runner who continued his success in track and field with the East York Track Team travelling all over North America and the world holding with his teammates many Canadian records from 1960 to 1962.
During his track and field pursuits, Jim was introduced to the sport of Rugby in 1962 where he played for the Toronto Balmy Beach Club touring to England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland in 1963. Asked to play in England while on tour, Jim went on to play for both the Harlequin and POME Rugby Clubs from 1964 to 1966 playing throughout the British Isles before returning to his Balmy Beach club in 1967 .
Following a transfer to Winnipeg later on in 1967, Jim found himself with the Wasps Rugby Football Club before suggesting to a number of players attending Churchill High School to start their own Canadian boys’ rugby club, the Assassins; named after the Anti-Assassins British touring side to Canada that had played against Jim and his Balmy Beach Club in 1967. A co-founder and the first coach of the Assassins Rugby Football Club, Jim put forth the suggestion for the club’s name, helped to organize numerous club fundraisers, and lent the club the funds to acquire its team jerseys which were designed by Jim’s wife Jan.
An outstanding scrum half, Jim was instrumental in the development and evolution of the Assassins RFC from those early days in the late 1960s to one of Manitoba’s premier rugby clubs today, winning their first club championship in 1971 as Jim continued to both play and coach the club until 1975.
In addition to his pioneering achievements with the Assassins Rugby Football Club, Jim played on the 1968 Manitoba representative team against Alberta in Edmonton and was the first Vice President of the Manitoba Rugby Football Union serving under its first President Peter Press. Since his retirement from the sport of rugby, Jim has gone on to achieve success as a hockey coach attaining Coach of the Year honours for Community Club Recreational Hockey in 1988, the Manitoba Major Jr. Hockey League in 1988/89 and the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League in 1991/92 with the Markham Waxers.
During his track and field pursuits, Jim was introduced to the sport of Rugby in 1962 where he played for the Toronto Balmy Beach Club touring to England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland in 1963. Asked to play in England while on tour, Jim went on to play for both the Harlequin and POME Rugby Clubs from 1964 to 1966 playing throughout the British Isles before returning to his Balmy Beach club in 1967 .
Following a transfer to Winnipeg later on in 1967, Jim found himself with the Wasps Rugby Football Club before suggesting to a number of players attending Churchill High School to start their own Canadian boys’ rugby club, the Assassins; named after the Anti-Assassins British touring side to Canada that had played against Jim and his Balmy Beach Club in 1967. A co-founder and the first coach of the Assassins Rugby Football Club, Jim put forth the suggestion for the club’s name, helped to organize numerous club fundraisers, and lent the club the funds to acquire its team jerseys which were designed by Jim’s wife Jan.
An outstanding scrum half, Jim was instrumental in the development and evolution of the Assassins RFC from those early days in the late 1960s to one of Manitoba’s premier rugby clubs today, winning their first club championship in 1971 as Jim continued to both play and coach the club until 1975.
In addition to his pioneering achievements with the Assassins Rugby Football Club, Jim played on the 1968 Manitoba representative team against Alberta in Edmonton and was the first Vice President of the Manitoba Rugby Football Union serving under its first President Peter Press. Since his retirement from the sport of rugby, Jim has gone on to achieve success as a hockey coach attaining Coach of the Year honours for Community Club Recreational Hockey in 1988, the Manitoba Major Jr. Hockey League in 1988/89 and the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League in 1991/92 with the Markham Waxers.