William Keith Linford Relph (21 November 1928 – 18 January 2023) was a

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 ...

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 ...

international player.

Rugby Union career

Amateur career

Relph played for

Stewart's College FP Stewart's College FP RFC was a Scottish rugby union club in Edinburgh. Founded The club was founded in 1875, when a match took place between the former pupils of Daniel Stewart's Hospital and George Watson's College. In 1887, the club became ...

. Relph was a noted sevens player and won the

Melrose Sevens Melrose Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Melrose Rugby Club, at The Greenyards in Melrose, Scotland. It is the oldest rugby sevens competition in the world, dating back to 1883 when the tournament was suggested by former Melrose ...

with Stewart's College FP in 1956. During Relph's time at the club they also won the

Langholm Sevens Langholm Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Langholm RFC, in Langholm, Scotland. The Langholm Sevens was the last of the Border Sevens tournaments to be instated in 1908. Held around the end of every April, the tournament is part o ...

in 1951 and 1957; the

Hawick Sevens Hawick Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Hawick RFC, in Hawick, Scotland. The Hawick Sevens tournament started in 1886 and is the third extant oldest Sevens tournament in the world; behind Melrose Sevens (1883) and Gala Sevens (188 ...

in 1952 and 1959; the

Gala Sevens Gala Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Gala RFC, in Galashiels, Scotland. The Gala Sevens was the second of the Border Sevens tournaments to be instated in 1884, just behind the Melrose Sevens in 1883. Held around the start of eve ...

in 1952; and

Jed-Forest Sevens Jed-Forest Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Jed-Forest RFC, in Jedburgh, Scotland. The Jed-Forest Sevens was the fourth of the Border Sevens tournaments to be instated, in 1894, after the Melrose Sevens (1883), Gala Sevens (1884) ...

in 1959 and 1960. He captained Stewart's College FP in the 1957–58 season when they won the

Scottish Unofficial Championship The Scottish Unofficial Championship was the top league of Scotland's best amateur rugby union clubs. The Championship was 'unofficial' as the Scottish Rugby Union held that the sport should remain amateur and at the time did not sanction competit ...

Provincial career

Relph played for Edinburgh District.

International career

Relph was capped by

to play France in 1955. He went on to play for Scotland a further three times that same season.

Family

Relph married Lucy Celia Wass (1933–2008) in May 1955, two months after playing for Scotland at Twickenham. Relph and Wass had four children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Relph, Bill 1928 births 2023 deaths Rugby union players from Edinburgh Scottish rugby union players Scotland international rugby union players Edinburgh District (rugby union) players Stewart's College FP players Rugby union hookers