Robert Munro (1841-1913) was a

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 ...

international who represented

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

in the first international rugby match in 1871.

Early life

Robert Munro was born in Dull, Perthshire in 1841, the son of Alexander M. Munro, a schoolmaster, and Margaret Stewart. He was educated at the

University of St Andrews The University of St Andrews (, ; abbreviated as St And in post-nominals) is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, f ...

Rugby union career

Munro played for the University of St Andrews and such was his prowess he was selected to play in the first international rugby match in 1871 between Scotland and England. This was played on 27 March 1871 at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh and won by Scotland. Later in 1871 he became licensed by the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland (CoS; ; ) is a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity that holds the status of the national church in Scotland. It is one of the country's largest, having 245,000 members in 2024 and 259,200 members in 2023. While mem ...

of St Andrews and began missionary duties.

Career and personal life

Munro became a minister in the

. He was licensed in November 1871 by the St Andrews Presbytery and became a missionary at Struan in Atholl. He was ordained to St Kiarans,

Govan Govan ( ; Cumbric: ''Gwovan''; Scots language, Scots: ''Gouan''; Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile a' Ghobhainn'') is a district, parish, and former burgh now part of southwest Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the sout ...

, on 16 November 1876. He was translated to

Ardnamurchan Ardnamurchan (, ) is a peninsula in the ward management area of Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, noted for being very unspoiled and undisturbed. Its remoteness is accentuated by the main access route being a single track road for much of its l ...

on 16 April 1879 and on 15 January 1890 translated and admitted. He was demitted on 5 December 1908. Munro died on 28 August 1913.Scott, Hew, 1791–1872; Macdonald, D. F. (Donald Farquhar), ''Fasti ecclesiæ scoticanæ; the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation (1915)'', (Edinburgh : Oliver and Boyd)
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References

1841 births 1913 deaths Alumni of the University of St Andrews University of St Andrews RFC players Scottish rugby union players Scotland international rugby union players Rugby union forwards Rugby union players from Perth and Kinross {{Scotland-rugbyunion-bio-1840s-stub