Edinburgh District (rugby union)

Edinburgh District
Full name Edinburgh District
Founded amateur 1872 (1872)
professional 1996 (1996)
Location Edinburgh, Scotland
Current season

Edinburgh District was a select provincial amateur rugby union team that drew its players mainly from the Edinburgh area, as well as others from the rest of east central Scotland; roughly corresponding to the old Lothian regional council area. Historically the Edinburgh District team played matches against touring teams visiting Scotland from abroad, and also competed in the Scottish Inter-District Championship.

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

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

Formation

The Edinburgh District side was formed in 1872 to play against a Glasgow District side. The teams met on 23 November 1872 at Burnbrae and Edinburgh won 3–0 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.

The first Edinburgh team in 1872:[1]

Edinburgh – A. Ross (Wanderers), J. Patullo (Craigmount), Thomas Roger Marshall (Edinburgh Academicals), W. St. Clair Grant (Craigmount), J. Junor (Royal High School), J. A. W. Mein (Edinburgh Academicals), and E. Thew (Merchistonians), backs ; Francis Moncreiff (captain), R. W. Irvine, E. M. Bannerman, James Finlay (Edinburgh Academicals), Angus Buchanan, A. G. Petrie, and M. Sanderson (Royal High School), C. W, Cathcart and John Lisle Hall MacFarlane (Edinburgh University), T. Whittington and B. Hall Blyth (Merchistonians), J. Forsyth and A. R. Stewart (Wanderers), forwards.-

Selection of representative players

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

In Edinburgh's case a trial match of hopefuls were divided into Stripes and Plain teams, so the players could impress the selectors.[2]

Early history

The Glasgow v Edinburgh district fixture was more or less played annually. The first 15 a side match was played in 1876. Edinburgh won the first fixtures and it wasn't until 1881 that Glasgow won at the thirteenth attempt. 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.[3]

The games were postponed during the First World War period. After 50-years at Burnbank - the West of Scotland ground in Woodlands, Glasgow – the Glasgow v Edinburgh fixture moved to Glasgow Academical's ground at Anniesland, Glasgow, in 1922. This move prompted yet another shift in balance as Glasgow once again became the dominant force of the two districts.

Touring sides

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

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 District, Edinburgh, South and North and Midlands sides would play off to see which district was best in Scotland. Occasionally London Scottish or an Anglo-Scots team was also invited into this championship.

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 Edinburgh District side was to become the professional Edinburgh Rugby side.

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

Partial list of games played against international opposition

24 November 1962: Edinburgh 22–3 Canada, at Murrayfield
19 November 1975: Edinburgh 10–19 Australia, at Myreside
31 October 1979: Edinburgh 4–16 New Zealand, at Myreside
19 September 1981: Edinburgh 13–18 Romania, at Myreside
15 September 1982: Edinburgh 47–12 Fiji, at Myreside
26 October 1983: Edinburgh 6–22 New Zealand, at Myreside
23 September 1986: Edinburgh 26–14 Japan, at Myreside
23 September 1987: Edinburgh 9–22 France, at Goldenacre
9 November 1988: Edinburgh 19–25 Australia, at Myreside
8 November 1995: Edinburgh 22–35 Western Samoa, at Inverleith
[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search".
  2. ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WMhAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=P6YMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4391%2C2808608
  3. ↑ "The Story of Scottish Rugby".
  4. ↑ "Our history".
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