Scotsman Obituaries: John Douglas, Scottish rugby internationalist


John Douglas was a well-known British Lions and Scottish rugby internationalist, a champion boxer, a low handicap golfer and a more than decent performer on the squash and tennis courts. He also enjoyed success in the world of horse racing as owner of Rubstic, the 1979 Grand National winner, the first Scottish-trained horse to do so.
Awarded 12 consecutive caps between 1961 and ’63, mostly at no. 8, the biggest thrill of his sporting life was winning his first Scottish cap, against France in Paris. Selection for the 1962 Lions’ tour of South Africa provided a memorable experience. He was unlucky not to get a Test cap after playing well in several matches but had to return home early for family reasons.
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Hide AdHe also represented combined Edinburgh-Glasgow teams against Paris, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, played eight times for the Barbarians, countless times for Edinburgh – whom he captained regularly in his late thirties – as as well as for British Army of the Rhine, Kent and the Co Optimists.


John excelled at 7’s rugby, winning numerous tournaments with Stewart’s FPs, appearing twice in the prestigious Twickenham Middlesex 7’s final, with Stewart’s in 1961 and Edinburgh Wanderers in ’69. He coached the latter to Melrose 7’s success in 1973, when he was also appointed coach of the Australia team for the international Murrayfield tournament. Bill McLaren wrote of him,”A player full of acumen and spirit who never gave less than 100 per cent.”
John Douglas was born in Woolwich, London, to Alex and Jean (nee Wilson). His father was a military man who became a captain in the Royal Signals regiment based in Palestine, where John and younger brother Jim initially lived. When the Second World War broke out as Alex joined the 8th Army’s cipher section in North Africa, the family relocated for security to Durban. Danger was prevalent – John recalled seeing a cinema explosion in Tel Aviv shortly after the family left it and destroyers clearing mines in the Red Sea as they sailed to South Africa.
In Durban they lived near the sea front where John’s future sporting interests may have been influenced by watching racehorses exercising nearby, golf being played on the Royal Durban course and rugby at Durban High School. Once war finished the family was reunited and returned to Britain, first living in Uphall. John began attending Daniel Stewart’s College – now Stewart’s Melville – where he made an inauspicious rugby debut, injured tackling an opponent. He persevered with the helpful input of PE teacher Eddie Hyndman and later played two seasons in the 1st XV, demonstrating considerable potential.
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Hide AdAfter school he played for the FP’s while struggling for a year with accountancy training which he claimed “took seven years out of his life, though it helped his billiards tremendously,” before undertaking National Service with the Royal Signals, mostly in Germany, receiving a commission and playing lots of rugby. One highlight was playing for the British Army of the Rhine against the French Army in Berlin’s iconic Olympic stadium.
After National Service he spent time in London playing for Blackheath, with whom he won Gala ‘7’s before rejoining Stewart’s in 1958, when he was first selected for Edinburgh.
To improve his fitness for rugby, he resumed boxing and joined the Buccleuch Club in Granton, whose basic facilities contrasted with the quality training available, leading to John’s success at heavyweight in the East of Scotland Championships. What made that particularly remarkable was he had played a match that afternoon for Edinburgh at Murrayfield. Unusually for the time he trained almost daily, culminating in a seven-mile Sunday run in the Pentlands.
After leaving Stewart’s in about 1966, he joined Edinburgh Wanderers, whom he also helped coach, and played for into his early forties. After a hiatus he was selected again for Edinburgh, captaining them in his late thirties.
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Hide AdGolf was another passion he followed, managing through dint of application to reduce his handicap to 4. For 49 years he was a member of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers at Muirfield, which he loved and through which he also enjoyed membership of the exclusive Pine Valley Club in America, in appreciation of the hospitality he extended to their members when visiting here. He had also been a member at Bruntsfield and Gullane.
Pursuing his horseracing interest, in 1971 John purchased three-year old Rubstic, whom he reckoned had potential. Later he placed the horse with trainer John Leadbetter in Denholm near Hawick. Leadbetter brought Rubstic along well and entered him in the 1979 Grand National, a debut for both horse and jockey Maurice Barnes. Rubstic went under the radar to claim a surprise and rewarding win, much to John and team’s delight, triggering wholehearted celebrations. He was also involved in the Saints and Sinners charity, raising considerable funds for worthy causes, serving as chair for a period, and was an accomplished after dinner speaker.
Most of John’s working life was spent as sales director in the packaging industry. He married twice, first in 1963 to Patricia Brown with whom he had sons Struan and Nigel, but the marriage ended in divorce. He later married Frances Proven at St Columba’s Church, Edinburgh, on 29 August 1986 and the pair enjoyed a long and happy marriage. They had no children but Frances’s three children were treated as his own, as were her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
John has left his brain for trauma-induced medical research purposes.
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Hide AdA larger than life, determined character, occasionally outspoken but fair minded, he was engaging company with a good sense of humour. He is survived by his wife, sons, brother, and many grand and great grandchildren.
Obituaries
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