Alexander Boswell Timms (2 March 1872 – 5 May 1922) was an Australian-born international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Edinburgh Wanderers and Edinburgh University. Timms played international rugby for Scotland and was selected for the British Isles team on its 1899 tour of Australia.

Personal history

Timms was born in Australia, at Mount Hesse Station west of

Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...

where his father owned a sheep farm. He grew up in

, attended Melbourne Grammar School before transferring to The Geelong College where he captained the school in

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

, his talent earning him the nickname "Shako" and played some senior games for both Geelong College and the

Geelong Football Club The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed the Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The club competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier competition, and are the 2022 ...

in 1892. He was sent to Edinburgh to study as a medical doctor. After finishing his degree at Edinburgh University he progressed to the College of Surgeons and took the Scottish triple qualifications in 1903.

Rugby career

Timms came to note as a rugby player while representing club team Edinburgh Wanderers and

Edinburgh University RFC Edinburgh University Rugby Football Club is a leading rugby union side based in Edinburgh, Scotland which currently plays its fixtures in the Edinburgh Regional Shield competition and the British Universities Premiership. It is one of the eight ...

, and it was while playing for the former club that he was first selected to represent Scotland's national team. Timms was brought into the squad as a temporary replacement for JJ Gowans at centre in Scotland's opening game of the

1896 Home Nations Championship The 1896 Home Nations Championship was the fourteenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 4 January and 14 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Table Results ...

, played away to Wales at the Cardiff Arms Park. Scotland lost by two tries to nil and Timms was replaced by a returning Gowan for the next international. Before Timms would win his second Scotland cap, he was selected to represent Matthew Mullineux's British Isles team on the 1899 tour of Australia. Timms scored two tries in the opening match of the campaign, against Central Southern,Alec Timms tour profile
lionsrugby.com but missed the next four games, including the First Test against

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. Timms regained his place for the sixth game of the tour, and missed only two more games, becoming a regular fixture in the team. After the British lost the First Test match of the tour, and Mullineux made several changes to improve his team for the Second Test. Timms was brought in at centre as replacement for Charles Adamson, and was partnered with

Gwyn Nicholls Erith Gwyn Nicholls (15 July 1874 – 24 March 1939)Newport RFC player profiles
was a W ...

, with whom he would be paired at centre for the remaining three Tests. The British won the last three Tests, with Timms scoring a try in the Third Test at

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

. On returning to Britain, Timms found himself back in the Scotland team, playing two games of the

1900 Home Nations Championship The 1900 Home Nations Championship was the eighteenth 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 ...

. From this point Timms was a regular member of the Scottish team until 1905. He played in two Triple Crown winning Championships, in

1901 Events January * January 1 – The Crown colony, British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and Western Australia Federation of Australia, federate as the Australia, ...

and

1903 Events January * January 1 – Edward VII is proclaimed Emperor of India. * January 19 – The first west–east transatlantic radio broadcast is made from the United States to England (the first east–west broadcast having been ...

. Timms was switched to the wing position for the 1904 Home Nations Championship, during a period when he moved to Wales to set up a practice in Cardiff, joining

Cardiff RFC Cardiff Rugby Football Club ( cy, Clwb Rygbi Caerdydd) is a rugby union club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876Parry-Jones (1989), pg 59 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, shortly after ...

at the same time. Timms was back at centre for the Scotland team in

1905 As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia (Shostakovich's 11th Symphony i ...

for the games against Ireland and England. Timms scored a try in the loss to Ireland, but was given the honour, in his final international game, of captaining Scotland in the encounter against England. Scotland beat England 8–0 to retain the Calcutta Cup.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Timms, Alec Boswell 1872 births 1922 deaths Australian rugby union players Rugby union centres Rugby union players from Melbourne British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Australia British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Scotland Cardiff RFC players Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Scotland international rugby union players Australian emigrants to the United Kingdom Scottish players of Australian rules football Footballers who switched code Geelong Football Club (VFA) players People educated at Geelong College People educated at Melbourne Grammar School Scottish surgeons