Scotland’s ‘forgotten internationalists’ to receive retrospective caps

Scottish Rugby’s governing body is to right a historical wrong by awarding caps to more than 50 male players who represented Scotland in matches that did not carry Test status at the time, including wartime internationals and games against Argentina, Japan and Fiji.

Mark Moncrieff, who played with distinction for Gala and Melrose, is one of those who will receive a retrospective cap. Picture: Ian Rutherford

Families of some of those who played in the games have long lobbied for them to be honoured and The Scotsman campaigned on their behalf as far back as 2009. Their argument was given more weight when it emerged earlier this year that the Irish Rugby Football Union would be awarding caps retrospectively in similar circumstances.

Now Colin Rigby, the president of the Scottish Rugby Union Custodian Board, has announced that there will be formal recognition for those who played for the Services in wartime internationals, Victory games after the war and matches against nations which were at the time not given Test status. The plan is to award the caps to the players, or their families, on Armistice Day, in the case of those with military connections, and during next year’s Six Nations for the others.

Among those who will be honoured are Gala pair Mark Moncrieff and Gary Isaac, former Watsonians scrum-half Stuart Johnston and Willie Anderson of Kirkcaldy and Glasgow Caledonians who, having played in the 1998 Rugby World Cup qualifier Scotland against Spain at Murrayfield in 1998, is the most recent player on the list.

Rob Moffat played for Scotland against Japan in 1977 and will now receive a cap. Picture: Jayne Emsley

“Those individuals who wore the thistle with pride and distinction, whether in Services or Victory internationals during and after the Second World War, or who played under the label of a ‘Scotland XV’ against other nations, will now join the fabled ranks of the 1,140 other men to have been capped by Scotland since 1871,” Rigby said.

“Given this year marks the 150th anniversary of the formation of the Union, we wanted to look afresh at our history and recognise the rich and enduring contribution those players have made to our game. Awarding a cap retrospectively may seem purely symbolic or belated by some people, but I know from conversations with some of those players and their families what this decision will mean to them and that granting cap status will be cherished.

“Our plan is to reach out to the relatives of those sadly no longer with us and conduct a cap presentation for those from the Services and Victory international matches in tandem with our annual poignant service of remembrance at the war memorial at Scottish Gas Murrayfield on Armistice Day in November. Therefore, we welcome contact from any relatives of those players from the 1940s, so we can begin to plan for that ceremony. Thereafter, we will look to award caps during our home matches in next year’s Guinness Six Nations Championship.”

Players entitled to retrospective caps or their families have been asked to contract Graham Law at the SRU ([email protected]) so that planning for cap ceremonies can begin.

The governing body said it was also striving to ensure that Scotland women’s internationalists who did not receive a cap would be traced and awarded the honour. A statement said: “Following the research to award retrospective caps in the men’s game, Scottish Rugby will also ensure that all players to have represented Scotland Women will receive a cap, as the physical cap presentation was not always a part of the women’s game in the past. Scottish Rugby will also embark on a project to ensure that all our international referees, in both the men’s and women’s game, will be recognised with a physical cap.”

Full list of men’s players to be awarded retrospective caps:

1942 Services Rugby: Scotland 21 England 6, 21 March, Inverleith

Lt A W B Buchanan (London Scottish)

Cadet M R Dewar (Watsonians)

Cadet E C K Douglas (Edinburgh University)

Lt S G A Harper (Watsonians)

Flt Lt E C Hunter (Watsonians)

Corporal J Maltman (Hawick)

Lt N W Ramsay (Army)

1942 Services Rugby: England 5 Scotland 8, 11 April, Wembley

Captain J B McNeil (Glasgow HSFP)

Cadet D A Roberts (Edinburgh Accies)

1943 Services Rugby: Scotland 6 England 29, 27 February, Inverleith

Lt J M Blair (Edinburgh Accies/Oxford University)

Corporal R Cowe (Melrose)

Lt C McLay (Edinburgh Accies)

1943 Services Rugby: England 24 Scotland 19, 10 April, Leicester

Captain W B Biggart (Army/Glasgow Accies)

Flt Officer E Grant (Royal NZ Air Force)

Lt M D Kennedy (Army)

1944 Services Rugby: Scotland 13 England 23, 26 February, Murrayfield

Cadet Rating A E Murray (Oxford University)

1944 Services Rugby: England 27 Scotland 15, 18 March, Leicester

Company Sergeant Major J R McLure (Ayr/Wasps)

Captain H G Uren (Glasgow Accies)

1945 Services Rugby: England 11 Scotland 18, 24 February, Leicester

Flt Officer A L Barcroft (Heriot’s)

Captain J R Henderson (Glasgow Accies)

Flt Officer D D McKenzie (RAF and Merchistonians)

Private R M McKenzie (New Zealand)

Sq Ldr J B Nicholls (NSW and Royal Australian Air Force)

Captain J A D Thom (Hawick)

Sub Lt C Wilhelm (South African Services)

1945 Services Rugby: Scotland 5 England 16, 17 March, Murrayfield

Lt E A Melling (Army and Sedbergh)

1946 Victory International: Scotland 11 New Zealand Army 6

J Anderson (London Scottish)

J Kirk (Edinburgh Accies/Wands)

1946 Victory International: England 12 Scotland 8, 16 March, Twickenham

K S H Wilson (London Scottish)

1969 Argentina 20 Scotland XV 3, 13 September, Buenos Aires

Ian Murchie (West of Scotland)

Arthur Orr (London Scottish)

1969 Argentina 3 Scotland XV 6, 27 September, Buenos Aires

Bruce Laidlaw (Royal HSFP)

1976 Scotland XV 34 Japan 9, 25 September, Murrayfield

David Ashton (Ayr)

Jim Carswell (Jordanhill)

1977 Japan 9 Scotland XV 74, 18 September, Tokyo

Colin Mair (West of Scotland)

Rob Moffat (Melrose)

1986 Spain 17 Scotland XV 39, 1 May, Cornella, Barcelona

Stuart Johnston (Watsonians)

Garry Waite (Kelso)

1987 Scotland XV 15 France XV 12, 26 September, Netherdale

Tim Exeter (Moseley)

Jeremy Macklin (London Scottish)

Ian Ramsey (Melrose)

1988 Zimbabwe 10 Scotland XV 31, 21 May, Bulawayo

David Butcher (Harlequins)

Ruari Maclean (Gloucester)

Stewart McAslan (Heriot’s)

Kevin Rafferty (Heriot’s)

Hugh Parker (Kilmarnock)

1989 Japan 28 Scotland XV 24, 28 May, Chichibu Stadium, Tokyo

Grant Wilson (Boroughmuir)

1991 USA 12 Scotland XV 41, 18 May, Hartford, Connecticut

Mark Moncrieff (Gala)

1991 Canada 24 Scotland XV 19, 25 May, Saint John, New Brunswick

Ronnie Kirkpatrick (Jedforest)

1993 Fiji 10 Scotland XV 21, 29 May, Commonwealth Stadium, Suva

Ally Donaldson (Currie)

Steve Ferguson (Peebles)

Nick Grecian (London Scottish)

Gary Isaac (Gala)

Robb Scott (London Scottish)

1993 Tonga 5 Scotland XV 23, 5 June, Teufaiva Stadium, Nuku’alofa

Craig Redpath (Melrose)

1998 Rugby World Cup qualifier Scotland XV 85 Spain 3, 5 December 1998, Murrayfield

Willie Anderson (Glasgow Caledonians/Kirkcaldy)