The 1877–78 Scottish Districts season is a record of all the

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

matches for Scotland's district teams. It includes the Inter-City fixture between Glasgow District and Edinburgh District; and the East of Scotland District versus West of Scotland District trial match.

History

The Inter-City match was won by a drop goal. After last season's defeat at the hands of Edinburgh District, the East of Scotland District decided to play its own trial match to better determine its players for the upcoming match against Edinburgh. The East of Scotland, at the time, picked its players from four leading teams in the area: Aberdeenshire RFC; Abertay RFC; Red Cross Dundee RFC; and St Andrew's University RFC. The original intention was for the trial match was to be played at Guthrie Junction between an Aberdeenshire/Red Cross side and an Abertay/St Andrew's University side. St Andrew's University were unwilling to go further north than Dundee for the game; and as a result the Aberdeenshire side did not travel south. Instead the 'north' team was Red Cross with a couple of Perth men; and the 'south' team was Abertay/St Andrew's University. In the match, C. Williams of the Red Cross/Perth side thought he had scored a try, but this was disputed and a try was not given. The match ended without a score. The East v Edinburgh match was due to be played on 12 January 1878 but was called off the night before, due to frost in the south. It was played instead on 9 February 1878; it ended without a score. This was the first year that a dedicated 'Trial match' for international selection was announced: a 'Blues' trial side were to play a 'Whites' trial side.

Results

Inter-City

Glasgow District: J. S. Carrick (Glasgow Academicals), R. C. Mackenzie (Glasgow Academicals), M. Cross (Glasgow Academicals), J. K. Tod (Glasgow Academicals), H. W. Little (West of Scotland), D. H. Watson (Glasgow Academicals), J. E. Junor (Glasgow Academicals), S. Smith (Glasgow Academicals), E. Ewart (Glasgow Academicals), A. T. Arthur (Glasgow Academicals), H. M. Napier (West of Scotland), J. Cochrane (West of Scotland), J. Colvil (West of Scotland), W. M. Morton (St. Vincent), J. Fraser (St. Vincent)
Edinburgh District: E. Carr (Edinburgh Wanderers), N. J. Finlay (Edinburgh Academicals), W. Maclagan (Edinburgh Academicals), G. Q. Paterson (Edinburgh Academicals), W. Masters (Edinburgh Institute F.P.), N. T. Brewis aptain D. Somerville, R. Ainslie (Edinburgh Institute F.P.), J. H. S. Graham,

George Macleod George Fielden MacLeod, Baron MacLeod of Fuinary, (17 June 1895 – 27 June 1991) was a Scottish soldier and clergyman; he was one of the best known, most influential and unconventional Church of Scotland ministers of the 20th century. He ...

(Edinburgh Academicals), G. Budd, R. G. Strong, J. Shiels (Edinburgh Wanderers), H. M. Davidson (Royal HSFP), R. Bone (Edinburgh University)

Other Scottish matches

East of Scotland District South: W. Sherwell (Perth), W. Dick (Dundee Red Cross), P. L. Storrier (Dundee Red Cross), G. Paton (Dundee Red Cross), D. Stiven (Dundee Red Cross), C. Murray (Dundee Red Cross), T. Kyd (Dundee Red Cross), W. Thomson (Dundee Red Cross) aptain J. Thomson (Dundee Red Cross), T. Luis (Dundee Red Cross), C. Williams (Dundee Red Cross), C. Gourlay (Dundee Red Cross), G. Adie (Dundee Red Cross), P. Henry (Perth), A. Stiven (Dundee Red Cross)
East of Scotland District North: J. Armstrong (St. Andrews), G. Ritchie (Abertay), J. Norrie (Abertay), M. Wright (St. Andrews), J. Myles (Abertay), Louis Auldjo (Abertay), G. Lumgair (Abertay), W. Stiven (Abertay), J. Dickie (Abertay), T. Steven (Abertay) aptain E. Morrison (St. Andrews), J. Cameron (St. Andrews), W. Traill (St. Andrews), W. Barclay (St. Andrews) East of Scotland District: W. Maclagan (Edinburgh Academicals), N. J. Finlay (Edinburgh Academicals), J. C. Montgomerie (Edinburgh Wanderers), G. Q. Paterson (Edinburgh Academicals), W. Masters (Edinburgh Institute F.P.), A. G. Petrie aptain H. M. Davidson (Royal HSFP), J. H. S. Graham, R. W. Irvine (Edinburgh Academicals), N. T. Brewis, D. Somerville, R. Ainslie (Edinburgh Institute F.P.), R. C. Strong (Edinburgh Wanderers), R. Bone (Edinburgh University), L. Auldjo (Abertay)
West of Scotland District: Robert Campbell MacKenzie (Glasgow Academicals), P. Russell (West of Scotland),

Malcolm Cross Malcolm Cross was a Scotland international rugby union player.Bath, p136 Rugby Union career Amateur career He played for Merchistonians. Provincial career Cross was capped by Glasgow District to play against Edinburgh District in the int ...

(Glasgow Academicals), H. W. Little (West of Scotland) aptain J. Moncrieff (Glasgow University), Henry Melville Napier (West of Scotland), J. Cochrane (West of Scotland), J. Colville (West of Scotland), H. Watson (Glasgow Academicals),

John Junor Sir John Donald Brown Junor (15 January 1919 – 3 May 1997) was a Scottish journalist and editor-in-chief of the ''Sunday Express'' between 1954 and 1986, having previously worked as a columnist there. He then moved in 1989 to ''The Mail on Sun ...

(Glasgow Academicals), Edward Ewart (Glasgow Academicals),

Stewart Henry Smith Stewart Smith (12 April 1855 – 29 November 1896) was a Scotland international rugby union player. He played as a forward. Rugby Union career Amateur career Smith played for Glasgow Academicals. Provincial career Smith was called up ...

(Glasgow Academicals), David Lang (Paisley), J. Raeburn (St. Vincent), D. W. Morton (St. Vincent)

Trial matches

Blues Trial: P. Russel (West of Scotland),

(Glasgow Academicals), Robert Campbell MacKenzie (Glasgow Academicals), David Watson (Glasgow Academicals) aptain George Paterson (Edinburgh Academicals),

Gussie Graham Gussie Graham (16 April 1856 – 17 October 1922) was a Scotland international rugby union player. Rugby union career Amateur career Graham played with Edinburgh Academicals. Provincial career He was capped by Edinburgh District in 1874. He ...

(Edinburgh Academicals),

Duncan Irvine Duncan Irvine was a Scotland international rugby union player.Bath, p137 Rugby Union career Amateur career He played for Edinburgh Academicals; and Aberdeen Rangers. He was staying in Old Machar, Aberdeenshire in 1881 census. Provincial care ...

(Edinburgh Academicals),

(Glasgow Academicals), E. Ewart (Glasgow Academicals),

(Glasgow Academicals), Henry Melville Napier (West of Scotland), J. Cochrane (West of Scotland), Alexander Petrie (Royal HSFP),

Nat Brewis Dr Nathaniel Thomas Brewis (16 April 1856 – 21 October 1924) was a Scottish Doctor and international rugby union player. He became the 13th President of the Scottish Rugby Union. Medical career Nathaniel Brewis graduated from the University ...

(Edinburgh Institution F.P.), R. G. Strong (Edinburgh Wanderers)
Whites Trial:

James Stewart Carrick James Stewart Carrick (4 September 1855 – 2 January 1923) was a Scottish rugby union and cricket player. He died in Seattle, Washington in 1923. Carrick was a genuine all-round sportsman, playing international rugby as a full-back for , and a ...

(Glasgow Academicals), A. D. Dunlop (West of Scotland), G. A. Scott (Royal HSFP), H. W. Little (West of Scotland) aptain W. Masters (Institution FP), J. Colvil-Edwards (West of Scotland), Louis Auldjo (Abertay), D. Lang (Paisley),

John Alexander Neilson John Neilson (14 June 1858 – 16 July 1915) was a Scottish international rugby union player. He played as a forward. He played for West of Scotland before moving on to Glasgow Academicals. He was called up for the Glasgow District sid ...

(Glasgow Academicals), Robert Ainslie (Institution FP), David Somerville (Institution FP), R. Bone (Edinburgh University), H. M. Davidson (Royal HSFP), W. Morton (St. Vincent), J. Raeburn (St. Vincent)

English matches

No other District matches played.

International matches

No touring matches this season.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1877-78 Scottish Districts season 1877–78 in Scottish rugby union Scottish Districts seasons