Norman Bruce (28 June 1932 – 28 March 1992) was a Scotland rugby union international player.

Rugby Union career

Amateur career

Bruce first played for Gala YM and then Gala. The Berwickshire News and General Advertiser of 1 February 1955 notes:

There will be no early return of Norman Bruce as a regular player for Gala. The popular Gala hooker, who is now a sergeant in the R.A.O.C., has signed on with the Army for a 22-year engagement. Bruce has been doing well in Army Rugby and is hooking for an Army XV. against the Civil Service in a side which includes seven internationalists. One of his props will be Hughie McLeod, the Hawick cap. The permanent loss of Bruce is a big blow to the Netherdale club.

He played for Blackheath.Scotland. The Essential History of Rugby Union. Nick Oswald and John Griffiths. Headline Book Publishing. 2003 He brought the Blackheath side back to Gala shortly after he moved to England and they won the Gala Sevens that year. While he was back in Galashiels he managed to sneak in a match for Gala YM over Hawick YM in the Border Junior League. He then played for the Army Rugby Union. He played for the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, captained the Army side, and played for Combined Services. He then played for London Scottish.

Provincial career

He played for South of Scotland District in 1955. He played for Whites Trial against

Blues Trial Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the African- ...

in 1957, while still with Blackheath. After impressing in that trial match he was selected for Scotland Probables against

Scotland Possibles 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 ...

two weeks later. He played for Hampshire. The Hampshire County side usually played him out of position as a prop, though he did captain the side.

International career

He was capped by Scotland 31 times between 1958 and 1964. He played for the Barbarians in 1957.

Military career

He joined the Royal Army Ordnance Corps around 1955–56. He was posted to Brunei as a Major. He was later promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and ran the Army School of Physical Training, before moving to Regimental Wing COD Donnington.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bruce, Norman 1932 births 1992 deaths Rugby union players from Edinburgh Scottish rugby union players Scotland international rugby union players Whites Trial players Scotland Probables players Rugby union hookers Hampshire County RFU players Gala YM players Army rugby union players Blackheath F.C. players London Scottish F.C. players Gala RFC players South of Scotland District (rugby union) players