Marcus di Rollo
Encyclopedia
Marcus Di Rollo is a retired Scottish
rugby union
footballer. He played as a centre for Toulouse
, Edinburgh, and the Scottish national team
.
After moving from Edinburgh to Toulouse
, Di Rollo endured a difficult time at the club. He only ever played one minute for the club due to conflicting medical opinions over a heart murmur he has carried since birth and left after a season. After a difficult season he returned to play for Scotland A
in 2008.
Marcus Di Rollo was not favoured by the former Scotland national rugby union coach Matt Williams
despite the support of respected Scottish rugby commentators such as Allan Massie
. But under Frank Hadden
, Di Rollo became a regular fixture in the national team.
Di Rollo earned his first cap as a second-half substitute in the 65-23 victory against the USA on the 2002 summer tour. He also made a try-scoring debut in the uncapped game against the Barbarians in May 2001 with an interception try. Scotland were grateful for the intervention of Marcus Di Rollo in the Autumn Test against Samoa in November 2005. The Scots were being held 11-11 by the Pacific Islanders when the then Edinburgh Gunners centre crossed over the line for his first try in the late win.
In 2010, Di Rollo was appointed head coach at Watsonians RFC
.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer. He played as a centre for Toulouse
Stade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...
, Edinburgh, and the Scottish national team
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
.
After moving from Edinburgh to Toulouse
Stade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...
, Di Rollo endured a difficult time at the club. He only ever played one minute for the club due to conflicting medical opinions over a heart murmur he has carried since birth and left after a season. After a difficult season he returned to play for Scotland A
Scotland A national rugby union team
The Scotland A team are the second national rugby union team behind the Scottish national side.-History:Scotland's status as one of the leading rugby nations in the Northern Hemisphere, made the SRU to field a second team, first known as Scotland XV, and currently as Scotland A, which can play at...
in 2008.
Marcus Di Rollo was not favoured by the former Scotland national rugby union coach Matt Williams
Matt Williams (rugby coach)
Matt Williams is an Australian rugby union coach from New South Wales.Williams, a teacher by profession, started in coaching at club level with Western Suburbs in Sydney, Australia in 1991...
despite the support of respected Scottish rugby commentators such as Allan Massie
Allan Massie
Allan Massie is a well-known Scottish journalist, sports writer and novelist.-Early life:Born in 1938 in Singapore, where his father was a rubber planter for Sime Darby, Massie spent his childhood in Aberdeenshire...
. But under Frank Hadden
Frank Hadden
Frank Hadden is a Scottish rugby union coach. He is a former head coach of Scotland and Edinburgh Rugby.Hadden replaced Matt Williams and was appointed on 15 September 2005. Hadden coached the Merchiston Castle School 1st XV after being appointed Head of Physical Education at the school in 1983...
, Di Rollo became a regular fixture in the national team.
Di Rollo earned his first cap as a second-half substitute in the 65-23 victory against the USA on the 2002 summer tour. He also made a try-scoring debut in the uncapped game against the Barbarians in May 2001 with an interception try. Scotland were grateful for the intervention of Marcus Di Rollo in the Autumn Test against Samoa in November 2005. The Scots were being held 11-11 by the Pacific Islanders when the then Edinburgh Gunners centre crossed over the line for his first try in the late win.
In 2010, Di Rollo was appointed head coach at Watsonians RFC
Watsonians RFC
Watsonian Football Club is a rugby union club based in Edinburgh and part of the Scottish Rugby Union. The club is connected with George Watson's College as a club for former pupils, but now accepts players who did not attend the school...
.
Tournaments
- 2006 Six Nations2006 Six Nations ChampionshipThe 2006 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the seventh series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy...
(4 appearances) - 2007 Six Nations2007 Six Nations ChampionshipThe 2007 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the eighth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the 113th series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship...
(4+1 appearances) - 2007 Rugby World Cup2007 Rugby World CupThe 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
(2 appearances)