Alfred "Alf" Moore Bucher (22 March 1874 – 20 August 1939) was a Scottish international
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
wing who played club rugby for
Edinburgh Academicals
The Edinburgh Academical Football Club, also known as Edinburgh Accies, is a rugby union club in Edinburgh, Scotland. The club is currently a member of the Scottish Premiership, the top tier of Scottish club rugby. Its home ground is Raeburn Pl ...
. Bucher played international rugby for
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
and was selected for the
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...
Leith
Leith (; gd, Lìte) is a port area in the north of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith. In 2021, it was ranked by '' Time Out'' as one of the top five neighbourhoods to live in the world.
The earliest ...
, in 1874 to Francis Bucher and Grace Webster Smith. Bucher served in the First World War and was a 2nd Lieutenant in the City of Edinburgh Motor Volunteer Corps.
Rugby Union career
Amateur career
Bucher came to note as a rugby player while representing Scottish club side, Edinburgh Academicals. It was while with the Academicals that he was selected to win his one and only cap for the Scottish national team.
1898
Events
January–March
* January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York as the world's second largest. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, B ...
.
International career
Bucher was chosen for the final game of the
1897 Home Nations Championship
The 1897 Home Nations Championship was the fifteenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Four matches were played between 9 January and 13 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Wales only completed one ...
, an encounter against
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
at Fallowfield in Manchester. Bucher was brought in at wing as a replacement for George Campbell, and was joined at threequarters with fellow Academical player Alec Robertson, who was also winning his first cap. Scotland lost the game 12–3, and despite scoring a
try
Try or TRY may refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Try!'', an album by the John Mayer Trio
* ''Try'' (Bebo Norman album) (2014) Songs
* "Try" (Blue Rodeo song) (1987)
* "Try" (Colbie Caillat song) (2014)
* "Try" (Nelly Furtado song) (2004)
* " Try (Ju ...
on his debut, Bucher was never reselected for his country again.
In 1899, Bucher was invited to represent the British Isles on the team's first official tour to Australia. Bucher played in 17 of the 20 arranged matches,Alf Bucher player profile Lionsrugby.com and was part of the British Isles team in 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 ...
, played in Sydney. After the tourists lost the First Test, captain
Matthew Mullineux
Matthew Mullineux MC (8 August 1867 – 13 February 1945) was an English rugby union scrum-half who, although not capped for England, was selected for two British Lions tours. He gained one cap during the 1896 tour to South Africa and cap ...
made several team changes, and Bucher was replaced by
H.G.S. Gray
Hugh Grainger Stewart Gray (10 August 1875 – 1955) was a Scottish player on the 1899 British Isles tour to Australia (often referred to as the England team). He was never capped for , but had appeared in the Scottish Trials.
In 1899, Gray wa ...
, a trialist who normally played as a forward. Despite a comprehensive win in the Second Test, Gray was dropped for the Third Test and Bucher was back on the wing, this time partnered opposite
Elliot Nicholson
Elliot Tenbosch Nicholson (13 December 1871 – 1 December 1953) Scrum.com was an