Edinburgh District (rugby union)


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 Burnbank Park and Edinburgh 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.
The first Edinburgh team in 1872:

A. Ross, J. Patullo, Thomas Roger Marshall, W. St. Clair Grant, J. Junor, James Andrew Whitelock Mein, and E. Thew

Francis Moncreiff, R. W. Irvine, E. M. Bannerman, James Finlay, Angus Buchanan, Alexander Petrie, and M. Sanderson, Charles Cathcart and John Lisle Hall MacFarlane, Tom Whittington, Benjamin Blyth II, J. Forsyth and A. R. Stewart

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.

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.
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.
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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.

Honours

Season standings

Inter-City

Inter-CityNo Inter-City played

Glasgow score given first. ᵜ Previous to 1876 only goals counted; tries were ignored in the result.
Scoreline key:
Glasgow winEdinburgh winDraw
Twice a season matches
SeasonDateScoreReportNotesDateScoreReportNotes
1872-7323 Nov 18720 - 1dgXX a side15 Jan 18730 - 1 gl, 2trXX a side
1873-746 Dec 18730 - 0XX a side24 Jan 18740 - 1 tr ᵜXX a side
1874-755 Dec 18740 - 0XX a side20 Feb 18750 - 0XX a side
1875-7618 Dec 18750 - 0XX a side29 Jan 18760 - 0XV a side
Annual matches
SeasonDateScoreReportNotes
1876-772 Dec 18760 - 1trXV a side from now on
1877-781 Dec 18770 - 1dg
1878-79no match; 9 weeks of frost
1879-8020 Dec 18791gl - 1gl
1880-814 Dec 18800 - 1gl, 2 trl
1881-823 Dec 18811gl, 1tr - 1tr
1882-832 Dec 18821gl, 1 tr - 0
1883-841 Dec 18831tr - 1gl, 2tr
1884-856 Dec 18841gl - 1tr
1885-865 Dec 18851gl, 1tr - 1trHampden Park
1886-874 Dec 18861tr - 0
1887-883 Dec 18870 - 2gl, 3tr
1888-891 Dec 18881gl - 0
1889-907 Dec 18890 - 1dg
1890-916 Dec 18901gl, 5tr - 2tr
1891-925 Dec 18911dg, 1tr - 1tr
1892-9317 Dec 18921gl, 1tr - 3tr
1893-9416 Dec 18932gl, 2tr - 0
1894-951 Dec 18942 gl - 2 tr
1895-967 Dec 18950 - 0
1896-975 Dec 18961tr - 0
1897-984 Dec 18971pg, 1tr - 1gl
1898-993 Dec 18981dg, 3tr - 0
1899-19002 Dec 18991pg - 3tr
1900-011 Dec 19000 - 2gl, 3tr
1901-027 Dec 19010 - 2gl, 2tr
1902-0313 Dec 19020 - 0
1903-045 Dec 19030 - 2gl, 5tr
1904-053 Dec 19041tr - 2tr
1905-062 Dec 19051gl, 2tr - 1tr
1906-071 Dec 19060 - 0
1907-087 Dec 19070 - 0
1908-095 Dec 19081gl, 1tr - 1tr
1909-1018 Dec 19091gl, 2tr - 2gl, 2tr
1910-113 Dec 19101gl - 4gl, 2tr
1911-122 Dec 19112tr - 3gl, 2tr
1912-137 Dec 19121pg, 1tr - 2gl, 1tr
1913-146 Dec 19131dg - 1dg
1914-19no matches; war years
1919-206 Dec 19191pg - 2gl, 3tr
1920-214 Dec 19201pg, 1tr - 1gl, 2tr
1921-223 Dec 19211gl, 1tr - 1pg
1922-232 Dec 19221gl, 1tr - 1gl, 4trOld Anniesland
1923-241 Dec 19231plg - 1plg
1924-256 Dec 19244gl, 3tr - 2tr
1925-26 no match; frost
1926-274 Dec 19263tr - 3gl, 1p, 1tr
1927-283 Dec 19271p - 1gl, 1tr, 1p
1928-291 Dec 19281g, 1d, 2p, 1tr - 3g, 1t
1929-307 Dec 19291gl, 5tr - 1gl, 1tr
1930-316 Dec 19303tr - 2p
1931-325 Dec 19312tr - 1gl, 1p, 1tr
1932-333 Dec 19321gl, 1tr - 1gl, 4tr
1933-342 Dec 19331gl, 1tr - 1p, 4tr
1934-351 Dec 19341tr - 0
1935-367 Dec 19354gl, 3tr - 0
1936-375 Dec 19361gl, 1p, 1tr - 1p
1937-384 Dec 19374gl, 3p - 1p, 1tr
1938-393 Dec 19382p, 1tr - 1dg, 3p, 1tr
1939-45no matches; war years
1945-461 Dec 19451tr - 5gl,1p, 2tr
1946-477 Dec 19463tr - 4gl, 3tr
1947-486 Dec 19472dg, 1tr - 1gl, 1tr
1948-494 Dec 19482p, 1tr - 1p
1949-503 Dec 19490 - 1gl, 1p
1950-512 Dec 19501gl, 1p, 1tr - 1p
1951-521 Dec 19512tr - 1tr
1952-5313 Dec 19521g, 2p, 1t - 2g, 1t

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

SeasonPosPldWDLFA+/-BPPtsNotes
1953–541st33005318+35-6
1954–553rd31112317+6-3
1955–562nd3120309+21-4
1956–571st=32013628+8-4Shared with South
1957–581st=32104223+19-5Shared with South
1958–591st=32012024-4-4Shared with South
1959–601st=32013135-4-4Shared with South & North and Midlands
1960–611st33004314+29-6
1961–621st=3210379+28-5Shared with South
1962–631st3300389+29-6
1963–642nd32013015+15-4
1964–654th31022533-8-2
1965–662nd32013211+21-4
1966–674th30121928-9-1
1967–681st=32014825+23-4Shared with South & Glasgow
1968–692nd31114254-12-3
1969–704th30121228-16-1
1970–713rd31024449-5-2
1971–721st= 32014236+6-4Edinburgh beat Glasgow in play-off
1972–731st=32015441+13-4
1973–744th30031938-19-0
1974–753rd31022732-5-2
1975–761st=32013834+4-4
1976–772nd32018551+34-4
1977–781st=32014934+15-4Shared with Glasgow & South
1978–792nd32018542+43-4
1979–801st330010331+72-6
1980–813rd31027433+41-2
1981–821st=43108028+52-7Shared with South
1982–833rd42028866+22-4
1983–842nd420210759+48-4
1984–852nd43018259+23-6
1985–862nd43016538+27-6
1986–871st44009651+45-8
1987–881st44008855+33-8
1988–891st440011545+70-8
1989–903rd42119365+28-5
1990–913rd41216370-7-4
1991–925th21012144-23-2Abbreviated tournament - no winner
1992–932nd42119369+24-5
1993–943rd21013446-12--
1994–952nd412162620-4
1995–962nd420210982+27-4

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

Notable players