Death of Scottish rugby stalwart Alec Harper

Scottish rugby is mourning the death of former SRU general committee member and Scotland and British Lions selector Alec Harper. He was 88.

Alec Harper oversees a rugby coaching course at Fettes College in 1959. Picture: Contributed

Alexander William Harper was a former head of PE and assistant headmaster at Trinity Academy in Edinburgh. In his playing days he represented Royal High School FP, mainly at stand-off, between 1947 and 1958 and was captain in three of those seasons.

Harper was stand-off in the combined Glasgow/Edinburgh XV who faced South Africa at Old Anniesland in October 1951 and in the same berth he captained Edinburgh to a 24-3 win against North and Midlands at Linksfield in Aberdeen in 1955, scoring one of Edinburgh’s tries that day.

His lifelong commitment to rugby saw him become an Edinburgh District representative on the SRU General Committee from 1971-1979, a Scotland selector from 1973-1979 and a selector for the 1977 and 1980 British Lions.

Harper died at a nursing home in the Corstorphine area of Edinburgh on 28 December. His funeral will take place in the main chapel at Mortonhall Crematorium in Edinburgh on Friday at 2pm.