Angus John Stuart (10 June 1858 – 8 October 1923) also known as Angus Stewart was a Scottish-born

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 ...

forward who played club rugby for

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

and

Dewsbury Dewsbury is a minster and market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Calder and on an arm of the Calder and Hebble Navigation waterway. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Hudder ...

. Although never capped at international level in his own country, in 1888 Stuart was chosen to tour New Zealand and Australia as part of the first British Isles team. Stuart later settled in New Zealand and played rugby for the

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...

Rugby career

Stuart initially played rugby for Rusholme and then

Salford Salford () is a city and the largest settlement in the City of Salford metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, Salford had a population of 103,886. It is also the second and only other city in the metropolitan county afte ...

. Stuart first came to note as a rugby player when he joined Cardiff Football Club during their fledgling years in 1883. Stuart played 50 games for Cardiff at threequarters and remained at the club until 1886.Davies (1975), pg 225. In 1886 Stuart and fellow Cardiff player William "Buller" Stadden stated that they intended to join English team Dewsbury.Davies (1975), pg 30. Both players stated that the reason for switching clubs was purely financial, as they were out of employment and had made friends with several Dewsbury players when the team toured Wales. It was later discovered that the employment the players found in Dewsbury, was with ''Newsome, Sons and Spedding'', a textiles company partially owned by Mark Newsome, president and former captain of Dewsbury. Although Cardiff later complained that this was backdoor professionalism, no evidence was found to prove that money had been exchanged and no charges were brought. In 1888, Stuart was approached to join the first British overseas touring rugby team, on a trip to Australia and New Zealand. The tour was organised as a financial venture, and had no backing from any of the Home Nation Unions. Despite this, the tour went ahead, taking in 35 games against invitational and club teams. Stuart is recorded as having played in 23 games, scoring one

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 ...

, but being switched from the backs into a forwards role. At the end of the tour, Stuart decided to remain in New Zealand and settled down there. There he played club rugby for Poneke Rugby Club in Wellington and in 1893 he toured Australia with the New Zealand national team. Stuart played in seven games of the tour, but none were against international opposition, so again he did not win a sporting cap. Stuart returned to Britain in 1902, and at one point worked in South Wales. He died in Dewsbury in October 1923 at the age of 65.

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stuart, Angus 1858 births 1923 deaths Cardiff RFC players Dewsbury Rams players Salford Red Devils players Scottish rugby union players New Zealand rugby union players New Zealand people of Scottish descent British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Scotland New Zealand international rugby union players Rugby union forwards