Glasgow District (rugby union)

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Glasgow District
Full nameGlasgow District
Foundedamateur 1872; 150 years ago (1872)
professional 1996; 26 years ago (1996)[1]
LocationGlasgow, Scotland
Official website
www.glasgowwarriors.org
Rugby football current event.svg Current season

Glasgow District was a Scottish amateur rugby union team which now plays as the professional provincial side Glasgow Warriors. Founded in 1872 it was a select provincial amateur rugby union team that drew its players mainly from the Greater Glasgow area, as well as others from the rest of the west of Scotland; roughly corresponding to the old Strathclyde regional council area. Historically the Glasgow District team played matches against touring teams visiting Scotland from abroad, and also competed in the Scottish Inter-District Championship.

The Glasgow District rugby union team was founded in 1872. The team played the world's first inter-district match that year against Edinburgh District rugby union team.

The amateur Glasgow District side evolved into the professional Glasgow Warriors side in 1996; one year after rugby union allowed professionalism in 1995.

Formation[]

The Glasgow District side was formed in 1872 to play against an Edinburgh District side.

Main article: Scottish District rugby structure

The teams met on 23 November 1872 at Burnbank Park at Woodlands in Glasgow; and Edinburgh District won 1 drop goal – 0 in a 20-a-side fixture. This is the oldest inter-district match in the world and to mark this the current Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby sides play for the 1872 Cup every year.[2]

The first Glasgow team in 1872:[3]-

 Backs:  Thomas Chalmers (Glasgow Academicals), William Davie Brown (Glasgow Academicals),
William Hamilton Kidston (West of Scotland)
 Half Backs:  William Cross (Glasgow Academicals), T. A. Drew (Glasgow Academicals)
 Quarters:  George Buchanan McClure (West of Scotland), John Arthur (Glasgow Academicals) [Captain]
 Forwards:  John Kennedy Todd, Henry William Allan, Charles Chalmers Bryce, George Raphael Fleming,
J.S. Thomson, J.K. Brown (all Glasgow Academicals)
James Howe McClure, J. Kennedy, J.P. Tennant, Robert Wilson, G. Hunter, A. Cochrane (all West of Scotland)
J.W. Reid (Glasgow University)

After the initial match at Burnbank, the games rotated - in the twice a season format - between Raeburn Place in Edinburgh and Hamilton Crescent in Partick, Glasgow.

Selection of representative players[]

Often to aid the selection process of Glasgow District's players a trial match was played.

In Glasgow's case a trial match of hopefuls were divided into Blues and Whites teams, so the players could impress the selectors.[4]

Glasgow also played a 'Rest of the West' team for selection.[5]

Early history[]

The Inter-City[]

With the exception of the first four years, the Glasgow v Edinburgh district fixture was more or less played annually; only being beaten by World War and occasional inclement weather.

Typically the Glasgow District side, in its early history, was crammed with Scottish international players.[6]

The Glasgow team for the 5 December 1874 match is an example:[7]

 Backs:  William Davie Brown [captain] ᵜ , James Stewart Carrick ᵜ (both Glasgow Academicals)
 Half Backs:  Malcolm Cross ᵜ (Glasgow Academicals), William Hamilton Kidston ᵜ (West of Scotland)
 Quarters:  James Howe McClure ᵜ , George Buchanan McClure ᵜ (both West of Scotland),
John Kennedy Todd ᵜ (Glasgow Academicals)
 Forwards:  Gilbert Heron ᵜ, Charles Chalmers Bryce ᵜ , Allan Arthur ᵜ , Henry William Allan ᵜ ,
George Raphael Fleming ᵜ (all Glasgow Academicals)
Tom Paterson Neilson ᵜ , John Alexander Neilson ᵜ , J.S. Kennedy, Preston (West of Scotland)
C.E. McArthur, Henry Melville Napier ᵜ , W.B. Russell, J. Hutchison (Glasgow University)

ᵜ Marked as Scottish internationalists.

The first 15-a-side match was played on 29 January 1876.

From the Inter-City formation in 1872, Edinburgh won the first two fixtures. Six draws followed, then came sporadic Edinburgh wins and draws. It wasn't until the 13th inter-city tie that Glasgow won the fixture.

The first winning Glasgow side in 1881:[8]

David Kidston (G. Academicals), A. J. W. Reid and C. W. Dunlop (West of Scotland),
John Alexander Neilson (West of Scotland) and C. Ker (G. Academicals),
D. Y. Cassels [captain], D. McGowan, A. Walker, R. Adam (West of Scotland),
R. B. Young, J. Lang (Glasgow University),
John Blair Brown, R. A. Kerr, William Andrew Walls, G. H. Robb (G. Academicals).

Glasgow then held dominance till 1887 when once more Edinburgh won again. From the 1880s to the close of the 1890s Edinburgh won a total of only four times in 20-years. The tide turned back in Edinburgh's favour in 1898. With only a solitary Glasgow win in 1905, Edinburgh held sway until 1914.

Hamilton Crescent, New Anniesland, Old Anniesland[]

The games were postponed during the First World War period. After around 50-years at Hamilton Crescent – the West of Scotland ground in Woodlands, Glasgow – the Glasgow v Edinburgh fixture moved to Glasgow Academical's ground at New Anniesland, Glasgow, in 1921. This move prompted yet another shift in balance as Glasgow once again became the dominant force of the two districts. The fixture moved to Glasgow HSFP's ground Old Anniesland in 1927.

Rugby Union[]

To coincide with the Scottish Football Union changing its name to the Scottish Rugby Union in 1924,[9] the SRU made the Glasgow District Union into the Glasgow District Rugby Union that same year.[10]

Touring sides[]

Glasgow often played matches against international and non-international touring teams. Occasionally both Glasgow and Edinburgh would field joint teams against the international touring teams.

One strange example is that of the New South Wales Waratahs world tour in 1927–28. They played against Glasgow District on 12 October 1927. Due to collapse of the Queensland Rugby Union they effectively were a de facto Australian national rugby team at the time and the Australian Rugby Union have decreed that their international matches of that tour should be taken as full tests. In the match against Glasgow, the Waratahs won 10–0.

Scottish Inter-District Championship[]

Two other Scottish districts South and North and Midlands had also been formed and there was regular matches between the four Scottish districts as well as against the touring sides.

The Scottish Inter-District Championship was established in the 1953–54 season. The Glasgow, Edinburgh, South and North and Midlands sides would play off to see which district was best in Scotland. From 1981 an Anglo-Scots or Scottish Exiles team was also invited into this championship.

Main article: Scottish Inter-District Championship

Famously the 1989 Glasgow District side went through the entire 1989–90 season undefeated:- winning the Scottish Inter-District Championship outright; drawing 18–18 with Munster away; winning 21–6 against Connacht away; and winning against Fiji[11]

Glasgow Inter-District Championship-winning squad 1989-1990.

Graeme Smillie (Glasgow Academicals)

Dave Barrett, Matt Duncan, Dave McKee (West of Scotland), Ian Jardine, George Graham, Kevin McKenzie, Brian Robertson, Stewart Hamilton (all Stirling County), Derek Stark, Phil Manning, David McVey (Ayr), George Breckenridge, Ewan McCorkindale, Alan Watt, Shade Munro, Fergus Wallace, Derek Busby (all Glasgow High Kelvinside), Stewart McAslan (Glasgow Academicals), David Jackson (Hillhead Jordanhill).[12]

Age grades[]

The Scottish Inter-District Championship was also contested at Age Grade level. The Under 21 Glasgow District side won for the first time in 1986–87 season.[13] With players like Shade Munro, Andrew Garry, Gordon Mackay, Gerry Hawkes and Murray Wallace in that side, it gave a good foundation for the 1989–90 season triumph and these young players later went on to represent the fledgling professional Glasgow side.

Effect of professionalism[]

With the advent of professionalism in 1995, the Scottish Rugby Union realised that not even the best semi-professional Scottish club teams could compete in the new Professional Era in rugby union, which was beginning to gain great momentum in the professional leagues of the Southern Hemisphere and the Northern Hemisphere.

In an attempt to stay in touch with the leading nations the SRU formed four professional teams out of the four amateur districts of Scotland in 1996. It was these newly professional teams that would represent Scotland in the Heineken Cup and in the Celtic League. The amateur Glasgow District side was to become the professional Glasgow Warriors side.

For the subsequent history of the professional Glasgow rugby district team from 1996, see Glasgow Warriors.

Records and Achievements[]

Honours[]

The Glasgow District won the Scottish Inter-District Championship outright in 1955–56, 1973–74 and 1989–90.[12]

It also shared the Scottish Inter-District Championship six times: 1964–65, 1967–68, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1975–76 and 1977–78.[14]

Season standings[]

Inter-City[]

Inter-City No Inter-City played

Glasgow score given first. ᵜ Previous to 1876 only goals counted; tries were ignored in the result.

Scoreline key:

Glasgow win Edinburgh win Draw
Twice a season matches[]
Season Date Score Report Notes Date Score Report Notes
1872-73 23 Nov 1872 0 - 1dg Report XX a side 15 Jan 1873 0 - 1 gl, 2tr Report XX a side
1873-74 6 Dec 1873 0 - 0 Report XX a side 24 Jan 1874 0 - 1 tr ᵜ Report XX a side
1874-75 5 Dec 1874 0 - 0 Report XX a side 20 Feb 1875 0 - 0 Report XX a side
1875-76 18 Dec 1875 0 - 0 Report XX a side 29 Jan 1876 0 - 0 Report XV a side

1st 1872 - 73 match played at Burnbank Park in Woodlands, Glasgow;
2nd 1872 - 73 match played at Raeburn Place in Stockbridge, Edinburgh
1st 1873 - 74 match played at Raeburn Place.
2nd 1873 - 74 match played at Hamilton Crescent in Partick, Glasgow.
1st 1874 - 75 match played at Hamilton Crescent;
2nd 1874 - 75 match played at Raeburn Place.
1st 1875 - 76 match played at Hamilton Crescent;
2nd 1875 - 76 match played at Raeburn Place.

Annual matches[]
Season Date Score Report Notes
1876-77 2 Dec 1876 0 - 1tr Report Hamilton Crescent; XV a side
1877-78 1 Dec 1877 0 - 1dg Report Hamilton Crescent
1878-79 no match; 9 weeks of frost
1879-80 20 Dec 1879 1gl - 1gl Report Hamilton Crescent
1880-81 4 Dec 1880 0 - 1gl, 2 trl Report Hamilton Crescent
1881-82 3 Dec 1881 1gl, 1tr - 1tr Report Hamilton Crescent
1882-83 2 Dec 1882 1gl, 1 tr - 0 Report Hamilton Crescent
1883-84 1 Dec 1883 1tr - 1gl, 2tr Report Hamilton Crescent
1884-85 6 Dec 1884 1gl - 1tr Report Hamilton Crescent
1885-86 5 Dec 1885 1gl, 1tr - 2tr Report Hampden Park
1886-87 4 Dec 1886 1tr - 0 Report Old Anniesland
1887-88 3 Dec 1887 0 - 2gl, 3tr Report Hamilton Crescent
1888-89 1 Dec 1888 1gl - 0 Report Hamilton Crescent
1889-90 7 Dec 1889 0 - 1dg Report Hamilton Crescent
1890-91 6 Dec 1890 1gl, 5tr - 2tr Report Hamilton Crescent
1891-92 5 Dec 1891 1dg, 1tr - 1tr Report Hamilton Crescent
1892-93 17 Dec 1892 1gl, 1tr - 3tr Report Hamilton Crescent
1893-94 16 Dec 1893 2gl, 2tr - 0 Report Hamilton Crescent
1894-95 1 Dec 1894 2 gl - 2 tr Report Hamilton Crescent
1895-96 7 Dec 1895 0 - 0 Report Hamilton Crescent
1896-97 5 Dec 1896 1tr - 0 Report Hamilton Crescent
1897-98 4 Dec 1897 1pg, 1tr - 1gl Report Hamilton Crescent
1898-99 3 Dec 1898 1dg, 3tr - 0 Report Hamilton Crescent
1899-1900 2 Dec 1899 1pg - 3tr Report Hamilton Crescent
1900-01 1 Dec 1900 0 - 2gl, 3tr Report Inverleith
1901-02 7 Dec 1901 0 - 2gl, 2tr Report Hamilton Crescent
1902-03 13 Dec 1902 0 - 0 Report Hamilton Crescent
1903-04 5 Dec 1903 0 - 2gl, 5tr Report Hamilton Crescent
1904-05 3 Dec 1904 1tr - 2tr Report Hamilton Crescent
1905-06 2 Dec 1905 1gl, 2tr - 1tr Report Hamilton Crescent
1906-07 1 Dec 1906 0 - 0 Report Hamilton Crescent
1907-08 7 Dec 1907 0 - 0 Report Hamilton Crescent
1908-09 5 Dec 1908 1tr - 1 gl, 1tr Report Hamilton Crescent
1909-10 18 Dec 1909 1gl, 2tr - 2gl, 2tr Report Hamilton Crescent
1910-11 3 Dec 1910 1gl - 4gl, 2tr Report Hamilton Crescent
1911-12 2 Dec 1911 2tr - 3gl, 2tr Report Hamilton Crescent
1912-13 7 Dec 1912 1pg, 1tr - 2gl, 1tr Report New Anniesland
1913-14 6 Dec 1913 1dg - 1dg Report Hamilton Crescent
1914-19 no matches; war years
1919-20 6 Dec 1919 1pg - 2gl, 3tr Report Hamilton Crescent
1920-21 4 Dec 1920 1pg, 1tr - 1gl, 2tr Report Hamilton Crescent
1921-22 3 Dec 1921 1gl, 1tr - 1pg Report New Anniesland
1922-23 2 Dec 1922 1gl, 1tr - 1gl, 4tr Report New Anniesland
1923-24 1 Dec 1923 1plg - 1plg Report New Anniesland
1924-25 6 Dec 1924 4gl, 3tr - 2tr Report New Anniesland
1925-26 Report Report no match; frost
1926-27 4 Dec 1926 3tr - 3gl, 1p, 1tr Report New Anniesland
1927-28 3 Dec 1927 1p - 1gl, 1tr, 1p Report Old Anniesland
1928-29 1 Dec 1928 1g, 1d, 2p, 1tr - 3g, 1t Report Old Anniesland
1929-30 7 Dec 1929 1gl, 5tr - 1gl, 1tr Report Old Anniesland
1930-31 6 Dec 1930 3tr - 2p Report Old Anniesland
1931-32 5 Dec 1931 2tr - 1gl, 1p, 1tr Report Old Anniesland
1932-33 3 Dec 1932 1gl, 1tr - 1gl, 4tr Report Old Anniesland
1933-34 2 Dec 1933 1gl, 1tr - 1p, 4tr Report Old Anniesland
1934-35 1 Dec 1934 1tr - 0 Report Old Anniesland
1935-36 7 Dec 1935 4gl, 3tr - 0 Report Old Anniesland
1936-37 5 Dec 1936 1gl, 1p, 1tr - 1p Report Old Anniesland
1937-38 4 Dec 1937 4gl, 3p - 1p, 1tr Report Old Anniesland
1938-39 3 Dec 1938 2p, 1tr - 1dg, 3p, 1tr Report Old Anniesland
1939-45 no matches; war years
1945-46 1 Dec 1945 1tr - 5gl,1p, 2tr Report Old Anniesland
1946-47 7 Dec 1946 3tr - 4gl, 3tr Report Old Anniesland
1947-48 6 Dec 1947 2dg, 1tr - 1gl, 1tr Report Old Anniesland
1948-49 4 Dec 1948 2p, 1tr - 1p Report Old Anniesland
1949-50 3 Dec 1949 0 - 1gl, 1p Report Old Anniesland
1950-51 2 Dec 1950 1gl, 1p, 1tr - 1p Report Old Anniesland
1951-52 1 Dec 1951 2tr - 1tr Report Old Anniesland
1952-53 13 Dec 1952 1g, 2p, 1t - 2g, 1t Report Old Anniesland

Scottish Inter-District Championship[]

The Inter-City match was then incorporated into the Scottish Inter-District Championship. For Glasgow's professional championship results from 1996 see Glasgow Warriors; for results of later Glasgow - Edinburgh matches see 1872 Cup.

Scottish Inter-District Championship
Season Pos Pld W D L F A +/- BP Pts Notes
1953–54 3rd 3 1 0 2 28 20 +8 - 2
1954–55 2nd 3 1 1 1 40 30 +10 - 3
1955–56 1st 3 2 1 0 33 22 +11 - 5
1956–57 4th 3 0 1 2 18 50 -32 - 1
1957–58 3rd 3 1 0 2 34 29 +5 - 2
1958–59 4th 3 1 0 2 14 30 -16 - 2
1959–60 4th 3 0 0 3 14 55 -41 - 0
1960–61 4th 3 0 0 3 14 53 -39 - 0
1961–62 4th 3 0 0 3 9 52 -43 - 0
1962–63 3rd 3 1 0 2 18 20 -2 - 2
1963–64 3rd 3 1 0 2 11 24 -13 - 2
1964–65 1st= 3 2 0 1 25 18 +7 - 4 Shared with South
1965–66 4th 3 0 0 3 14 46 -32 - 0
1966–67 3rd 3 1 0 2 29 49 -20 - 2
1967–68 1st= 3 2 0 1 31 29 +2 - 4 Shared with Edinburgh and South
1968–69 3rd 3 1 0 2 48 46 +2 - 2
1969–70 2nd 3 2 0 1 35 22 +13 - 4
1970–71 2nd 2 1 0 1 29 28 +1 - 2 North and Midlands match cancelled
1971–72 1st= 3 2 0 1 52 43 +9 - 4 Edinburgh won play-off
1972–73 1st= 3 2 0 1 70 74 -4 - 4
1973–74 1st 3 3 0 0 44 38 +6 - 6
1974–75 1st= 3 2 0 1 29 28 +1 - 4 Shared with North and Midlands
1975–76 1st= 3 2 0 1 38 34 +4 - 4 Shared with South and Edinburgh
1976–77 4th 3 0 0 3 26 93 -67 - 0
1977–78 1st= 3 2 0 1 56 15 +31 - 4 Shared with South & Edinburgh
1978–79 3rd 3 1 0 2 28 68 -40 - 2
1979–80 3rd 3 1 0 2 41 31 +10 - 2
1980–81 2nd 3 2 0 1 48 54 -6 - 4
1981–82 4th 4 1 0 3 36 81 -45 - 2
1982–83 4th 4 1 0 3 57 58 -1 - 2
1983–84 4th 4 2 0 2 57 71 -14 - 4
1984–85 5th 4 0 0 4 28 68 -40 - 0
1985–86 4th 4 1 0 3 66 56 +10 - 2
1986–87 4th 4 1 0 3 68 99 -31 - 2
1987–88 4th 4 1 0 3 53 104 -51 - 2
1988–89 4th 4 1 0 3 56 117 -61 - 2
1989–90 1st 4 3 1 0 78 54 +24 - 7
1990–91 2nd 4 2 1 1 54 59 -5 - 5
1991–92 4th 2 1 0 1 20 34 -14 - 2 Abbreviated tournament - no winner
1992–93 4th 4 1 1 2 44 59 -15 - 3
1993–94 2nd 2 1 0 1 35 34 +1 - - (lost to South in cup final)
1994–95 5th 4 1 0 3 62 95 -33 - 2
1995–96 5th 4 0 0 4 63 161 -98 - 0

Partial list of games played against international opposition[]

Year Date Opponent Venue Result Score Tour
1902 20 December[15]  Canada Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow Win 11–3 1902-03 Canada rugby union tour
1931 28 October[16]  South Africa Hughenden Stadium, Glasgow Loss 13–21 1931–32 South Africa rugby union tour
1974 24 September[17]  Tonga Hughenden Stadium, Glasgow Win 33–16 Report
1979 6 November  New Zealand Hughenden Stadium, Glasgow Loss 6–12 1979 New Zealand tour of England, Scotland & Italy[18]
1981 12 December  Australia Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Loss 0–31 1981–82 Australia rugby union tour of Britain and Ireland Preview Report
1984 4 December  Australia Hughenden Stadium, Glasgow Loss 12–26 1984 Australia tour of Britain & Ireland[19]
Report Report
1985 6 September  Netherlands The Hague Win 26–12 Preview Report
1985 8 September  Belgium Brussels Win 23–9 Preview Report Tour Report
1987 16 September  France Hughenden Stadium Loss 9–28 Preview Report
1989 27 October  Fiji Hughenden Stadium, Glasgow Win 22–11 1989 Fiji rugby union tour of Europe

Notable former players[]

British and Irish Lions from Glasgow District[]

The following former Glasgow District players have represented the British and Irish Lions.

Notable non-Scottish players[]

The following is a list of notable non-Scottish international representative former Glasgow players:

New Zealand

Wales

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Glasgow Warriors". rugbystore.co.uk.
  2. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 23 December 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ "The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search".
  4. ^ "The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search".
  5. ^ https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hEw1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=WaYLAAAAIBAJ&pg=6536%2C5086374
  6. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001876/19011206/010/0001 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ^ "The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search".
  8. ^ "The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search".
  9. ^ "BBC - A Sporting Nation - First Scottish Grand Slam". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  10. ^ Midlands First and Last. John Methven. H.B Rutherford publishers. 1989
  11. ^ "Warriors Honour Winning Greats" (Press release). Scottish Rugby. 1 September 2009. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  12. ^ a b "Underdog tag spurred on our Glasgow title team, says Derek Stark". The Scotsman. 25 December 2009. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  13. ^ McMurtrie, Bill (3 February 1988). "Glasgow's strong pack". The Glasgow Herald. p. 26. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  14. ^ Border Reivers v Glasgow 24 October 1997 match programme
  15. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001876/19021222/067/0004 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. ^ "Rugby: South Africans in Glasgow". The Glasgow Herald. 28 October 1931. p. 8. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  17. ^ "Scots warned to tackle the hit men". The Herald. 4 June 1993. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  18. ^ Vivian Jenkins, ed. (1980). Rothmans Rugby Yearbook 1980-81. London: Queen Anne Press. pp. 21–22. ISBN 0362020183.
  19. ^ Stephen Jones, ed. (1985). Rothmans Rugby Yearbook 1985-86. Queen Anne Press. pp. 38–39. ISBN 0-356-10942-9.

External links[]

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