William Wotherspoon (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
William Wotherspoon was a Scottish
rugby union
half-back who was a member of the first official British Isles
tour and was also capped for the Scotland team
. Wotherspoon played one game in the 1891 Championship, which saw Scotland win all three matches making Wotherspoon a Triple Crown
winning player.
, Fife
in 1868 to Charles Grey Wotherspoon, a barrister of Aberdour. Wotherspoon was educated at Fettes College
before being accepted into Clare College, Cambridge
in 1887, gaining a BA
in 1891.
A sometimes Assistant Master of Blair Lodge College in Stirlingshire, which is today a Young Offenders Institute
, Wotherspoon became a barrister for Nobel's
explosive factory in London. In 1902 he married Annie Manning, the youngest daughter of William Arthur Judkins of Northamptonshire.
during his student years, winning a sporting blue in 1888 and 1889. Whilst still at university he was selected to represent the Scottish national team, coming into the team to face Ireland
away, in the 1891 Home Nations Championship
. It was a celebrated start for Wotherspoon, scoring three tries
in his debut in a 14-0 victory of the Irish. This raised Wotherspoon's status within rugby: although he did not appear in the last game of the Championship against England, he was then chosen to represent the first official British Isles team to tour, travelling to South Africa in 1891
.
The 1891 tour of South Africa took in three Tests against South Africa
and 17 games against regional and invitational sides. Wotherspoon played in the first match of the tour against Cape Town, and was given kicking duties, scoring two conversions and two penalty goals. He missed the next four games, but was back against Port Elizabeth and then Eastern Province
, scoring two tries in each match. He faced the South African national team, in the first Test, played at Port Elizabeth, where he was partnered at half back with Arthur Rotherham
. The tourists won the game 4-0.
On his return to Britain Wotherspoon was reselected for the Scottish team, playing in a win over Ireland in the 1892 Championship
. Wotherspoon, now playing club rugby for West of Scotland F.C., played in two games during the 1893 Home Nations Championship
, facing Wales
and England
; in 1894
he completed his first full tournament. He played all three matches in the 1894 Championship, switching from half-back to centre in the second game (against Ireland), when Scotland adopted the four threequarter system that season.
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...
half-back who was a member of the first official British Isles
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
tour and was also capped for the Scotland 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...
. Wotherspoon played one game in the 1891 Championship, which saw Scotland win all three matches making Wotherspoon a Triple Crown
Triple Crown (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...
winning player.
Personal history
Wotherspoon was born in AberdourAberdour
Aberdour is a scenic and historic village on the south coast of Fife, Scotland. It is on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, looking south to the island of Inchcolm and its Abbey, and to Leith and Edinburgh beyond. According to the 2006 population estimate, the village has a population of...
, Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
in 1868 to Charles Grey Wotherspoon, a barrister of Aberdour. Wotherspoon was educated at Fettes College
Fettes College
Fettes College is an independent school for boarding and day pupils in Edinburgh, Scotland with over two thirds of its pupils in residence on campus...
before being accepted into Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1326, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. Clare is famous for its chapel choir and for its gardens on "the Backs"...
in 1887, gaining a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1891.
A sometimes Assistant Master of Blair Lodge College in Stirlingshire, which is today a Young Offenders Institute
Polmont (HM Prison)
Her Majesty's Young Offenders Institution Polmont is the largest of its kind in Scotland. Despite its name, the institution is located in Reddingmuirhead in the Falkirk region, and not in Polmont....
, Wotherspoon became a barrister for Nobel's
Alfred Nobel
Alfred Bernhard Nobel was a Swedish chemist, engineer, innovator, and armaments manufacturer. He is the inventor of dynamite. Nobel also owned Bofors, which he had redirected from its previous role as primarily an iron and steel producer to a major manufacturer of cannon and other armaments...
explosive factory in London. In 1902 he married Annie Manning, the youngest daughter of William Arthur Judkins of Northamptonshire.
Rugby career
Wotherspoon first came to note as a rugby player when he represented the Cambridge University teamCambridge University R.U.F.C.
The Cambridge University Rugby Union Football Club, or CURUFC, is the rugby union club of Cambridge University, and plays Oxford University in the annual Varsity Match at Twickenham stadium every December. CURUFC players wear light blue and white hooped jerseys with a red lion crest...
during his student years, winning a sporting blue in 1888 and 1889. Whilst still at university he was selected to represent the Scottish national team, coming into the team to face Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
away, in the 1891 Home Nations Championship
1891 Home Nations Championship
The 1891 Home Nations Championship was the ninth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 3 January and 7 March...
. It was a celebrated start for Wotherspoon, scoring three tries
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
in his debut in a 14-0 victory of the Irish. This raised Wotherspoon's status within rugby: although he did not appear in the last game of the Championship against England, he was then chosen to represent the first official British Isles team to tour, travelling to South Africa in 1891
1891 British Lions tour to South Africa
The 1891 British Isles tour to South Africa was the first British Isles rugby union tour of South Africa and only the second overseas tour conducted by a joint British team. Between 9 July and 7 September, the team played 20 games, including three tests against the South Africa national rugby union...
.
The 1891 tour of South Africa took in three Tests against South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
and 17 games against regional and invitational sides. Wotherspoon played in the first match of the tour against Cape Town, and was given kicking duties, scoring two conversions and two penalty goals. He missed the next four games, but was back against Port Elizabeth and then Eastern Province
Mighty Elephants
The Eastern Province Kings are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournaments and are governed by the Eastern Province Rugby Union...
, scoring two tries in each match. He faced the South African national team, in the first Test, played at Port Elizabeth, where he was partnered at half back with Arthur Rotherham
Arthur Rotherham
Arthur Rotherham was an English rugby union scrum-half who was a member of the first official British Isles tour and was later capped for the England team.-Personal history:...
. The tourists won the game 4-0.
On his return to Britain Wotherspoon was reselected for the Scottish team, playing in a win over Ireland in the 1892 Championship
1892 Home Nations Championship
The 1892 Home Nations Championship was the tenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 2 January and 5 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales....
. Wotherspoon, now playing club rugby for West of Scotland F.C., played in two games during the 1893 Home Nations Championship
1893 Home Nations Championship
The 1893 Home Nations Championship was the eleventh series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 17 January and 11 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales...
, facing Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
and England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
; in 1894
1894 Home Nations Championship
The 1894 Home Nations Championship was the twelfth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 6 January and 17 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.-Table:-Results:...
he completed his first full tournament. He played all three matches in the 1894 Championship, switching from half-back to centre in the second game (against Ireland), when Scotland adopted the four threequarter system that season.