Edinburgh District is a Scottish amateur rugby union team which plays in the amateur Scottish Inter-District Championship. It draws 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 the 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. However the amateur district is still used for the representation of amateur players in the Inter-District Championship; and this amateur championship guides the selection of Scotland Club XV international players.
In 2022 the Inter-District Championship was reintroduced. The Edinburgh District competed in the tournament, playing in fixtures against the South of Scotland, and Glasgow and the West.
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 (Wanderers), J. Patullo (Craigmount), Thomas Roger Marshall (Edinburgh Academicals), W. St. Clair Grant (Craigmount), J. Junor (Royal High School), James Andrew Whitelock Mein (Edinburgh Academicals), and E. Thew (Merchistonians) Francis Moncreiff (captain), R. W. Irvine, E. M. Bannerman, James Finlay (Edinburgh Academicals), Angus Buchanan, Alexander Petrie, and M. Sanderson (Royal High School), Charles Cathcart and John Lisle Hall MacFarlane (Edinburgh University), Tom Whittington (Merchistonians), Benjamin Blyth II (Merchistonians), J. Forsyth and A. R. Stewart (Wanderers)
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 was 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 the thirteenth attempt. Glasgow then held dominance until 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.
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.
Edinburgh v North and Midlands 20 November 1965 match report Edinburgh v Glasgow 4 December 1965 match report Edinburgh v North and Midlands 4 November 1967 match report Edinburgh v Glasgow 22 December 1973 match reportReport2 Edinburgh v North and Midlands 29 December 1973 match report Edinburgh v Glasgow 7 December 1974 match report
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.
Rebirth of the amateur district
Edinburgh District as an amateur district, will return in the 2022–23 Amateur Scottish Inter-District Championship. Its Head Coach will be Bob McKillop, previously a Scotland age-grade coach, aided by assistant coaches Alex Hagart (Stewart’s Melville), Mark Cairns (Currie Chieftains) and Iain Bethinussen (Edinburgh Academical).
McKillop noted: Having grown up in an era when the Inter-district Championship was something special for players and coaches to be involved in, it is fantastic to see it being revived. It’s a huge privilege to be asked to work with the best coaches and players in the Edinburgh District. We want to create an environment the players fall in love with and go back and tell their club mates how great the experience was. I’m especially looking forward to our game at Netherdale because I know the Borders fans will buy into this and make it a great occasion. I really hope this is the start of the re-emergence of the competition, and that it goes from strength to strength over the next few seasons.
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
Season DateScoreReportNotesDateScoreReportNotes1872-7323 Nov 18720 - 1dgReportXX a side 15 Jan 18730 - 1 gl, 2trDetailXX a side1873-746 Dec 18730 - 0ReportXX a side 24 Jan 18740 - 1 tr ᵜ ReportXX a side1874-755 Dec 18740 - 0ReportXX a side 20 Feb 18750 - 0ReportXX a side1875-7618 Dec 18750 - 0ReportXX a side 29 Jan 18760 - 0ReportXV a side
Annual matches
Season DateScoreReportNotes1876-772 Dec 18760 - 1trReportXV a side from now on1877-781 Dec 18770 - 1dgReport1878-79 no match; 9 weeks of frost1879-8020 Dec 18791gl - 1glReport1880-814 Dec 18800 - 1gl, 2 trlReport1881-823 Dec 18811gl, 1tr - 1trReport1882-832 Dec 18821gl, 1 tr - 0Report1883-841 Dec 18831tr - 1gl, 2trReport1884-856 Dec 18841gl - 1trReport1885-865 Dec 18851gl, 1tr - 2trReportHampden Park1886-874 Dec 18861tr - 0Report1887-883 Dec 18870 - 2gl, 3trReport1888-891 Dec 18881gl - 0Report1889-907 Dec 18890 - 1dgReport1890-916 Dec 18901gl, 5tr - 2trReport1891-925 Dec 18911dg, 1tr - 1trReport1892-9317 Dec 18921gl, 1tr - 3trReport1893-9416 Dec 18932gl, 2tr - 0Report1894-951 Dec 18942 gl - 2 trReport1895-967 Dec 18950 - 0Report1896-975 Dec 18961tr - 0Report1897-984 Dec 18971pg, 1tr - 1glReport1898-993 Dec 18981dg, 3tr - 0Report1899-19002 Dec 18991pg - 3trReport1900-011 Dec 19000 - 2gl, 3trReport1901-027 Dec 19010 - 2gl, 2trReport1902-0313 Dec 19020 - 0Report1903-045 Dec 19030 - 2gl, 5trReport1904-053 Dec 19041tr - 2trReport1905-062 Dec 19051gl, 2tr - 1trReport1906-071 Dec 19060 - 0Report1907-087 Dec 19070 - 0Report1908-095 Dec 19081gl, 1tr - 1trReport1909-1018 Dec 19091gl, 2tr - 2gl, 2trReport1910-113 Dec 19101gl - 4gl, 2trReport1911-122 Dec 19112tr - 3gl, 2trReport1912-137 Dec 19121pg, 1tr - 2gl, 1trReport1913-146 Dec 19131dg - 1dgReport1914-19 no matches; war years1919-206 Dec 19191pg - 2gl, 3trReport1920-214 Dec 19201pg, 1tr - 1gl, 2trReport1921-223 Dec 19211gl, 1tr - 1pgReport1922-232 Dec 19221gl, 1tr - 1gl, 4trReportOld Anniesland1923-241 Dec 19231plg - 1plgReport1924-256 Dec 19244gl, 3tr - 2trReport1925-26 Report Reportno match; frost1926-27 4 Dec 19263tr - 3gl, 1p, 1trReport1927-283 Dec 19271p - 1gl, 1tr, 1pReport1928-291 Dec 19281g, 1d, 2p, 1tr - 3g, 1tReport1929-307 Dec 19291gl, 5tr - 1gl, 1trReport1930-316 Dec 19303tr - 2pReport1931-325 Dec 19312tr - 1gl, 1p, 1trReport1932-333 Dec 19321gl, 1tr - 1gl, 4trReport1933-342 Dec 19331gl, 1tr - 1p, 4trReport1934-351 Dec 19341tr - 0Report1935-367 Dec 19354gl, 3tr - 0Report1936-375 Dec 19361gl, 1p, 1tr - 1pReport1937-384 Dec 19374gl, 3p - 1p, 1trReport1938-393 Dec 19382p, 1tr - 1dg, 3p, 1trReport1939-45 no matches; war years1945-461 Dec 19451tr - 5gl,1p, 2trReport1946-477 Dec 19463tr - 4gl, 3trReport1947-486 Dec 19472dg, 1tr - 1gl, 1trReport1948-494 Dec 19482p, 1tr - 1pReport1949-503 Dec 19490 - 1gl, 1pReport1950-512 Dec 19501gl, 1p, 1tr - 1pReport1951-521 Dec 19512tr - 1trReport1952-5313 Dec 19521g, 2p, 1t - 2g, 1tReport
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+/-BPPtsNotes1953–541st33005318+35-61954–553rd31112317+6-31955–562nd3120309+21-41956–571st=32013628+8-4Shared with South1957–581st=32104223+19-5Shared with South1958–591st=32012024-4-4Shared with South1959–601st=32013135-4-4Shared with South & North and Midlands1960–611st33004314+29-61961–621st=3210379+28-5Shared with South1962–631st3300389+29-61963–642nd32013015+15-41964–654th31022533-8-21965–662nd32013211+21-41966–674th30121928-9-11967–681st=32014825+23-4Shared with South & Glasgow1968–692nd31114254-12-31969–704th30121228-16-11970–713rd31024449-5-21971–721st= (CH)32014236+6-4Edinburgh beat Glasgow in play-off1972–731st=32015441+13-41973–744th30031938-19-01974–753rd31022732-5-21975–761st=32013834+4-41976–772nd32018551+34-41977–781st=32014934+15-4Shared with Glasgow & South1978–792nd32018542+43-41979–801st330010331+72-61980–813rd31027433+41-21981–821st=43108028+52-7Shared with South1982–833rd42028866+22-41983–842nd420210759+48-41984–852nd43018259+23-61985–862nd43016538+27-61986–871st44009651+45-81987–881st44008855+33-81988–891st440011545+70-81989–903rd42119365+28-51990–913rd41216370-7-41991–925th21012144-23-2Abbreviated tournament - no winner1992–932nd42119369+24-51993–943rd21013446-12--1994–952nd412162620-41995–96 2nd420210982+27-4
Professional Era
The Amateur Scottish Inter-District Championship has been restarted twice in the professional era. The first restart was from 1999 to 2002; the second restart from the 2022-23 season.
SeasonPosPldWDLFA+/-BPPtsNotes1999–2000 3rd310290118-28262000–01 3rd42029486+82112001–02 5th400466176-110112022–23 4th20022972-4300
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 24 August 2007: Edinburgh 14-26 Tonga, at Myreside
Notable players
James Robertson - world's first black rugby union player. Eric Liddell - won the 1924 Olympic gold medal for the 400 metres in athletics.
See also