Thomas Allen "Scotty" McClymont (5 January 1892 – 18 December 1974) was a New Zealand
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...
footballer who played in the 1910s and 1920s, and
coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Co ...
ed in the 1920s through to the 1950s. He represented
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
.
Early years
Thomas McClymont was born in
Karangahake
The Karangahake Gorge lies between the Coromandel and Kaimai ranges, at the southern end of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island. A sharply winding canyon, it was formed by the Ohinemuri River. State Highway 2 passes throug ...
. McClymont represented the Goldfields sub-union in
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 it ...
.
[
]
Playing career
McClymont played for Ponsonby United in the Auckland Rugby League competition, making his debut in 1913, and represented Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...
.[Coffey, John and Bernie Wood ''Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009'', 2009. .] He was to be selected at fullback for New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
for the 1914 Test against Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
; however an injury delayed his debut until after the War.[
McClymont was selected as Ponsonby captain in 1919. In 1919 he was selected for the New Zealand team, and played in four Test matches for them between 1919 and 1924. McClymont captained New Zealand in the first Test match against ]Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
in 1924. Unfortunately a broken arm in this match hastened his retirement.[
]
Coaching career
In 1928 McClymont coached New Zealand for a three-match Test series against Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
. New Zealand lost 1–2. During the 1930s, McClymont coached Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
in the Auckland Rugby League competition while remaining a New Zealand selector.[
McClymont again became coach in 1936 for two tests against England and two further tests against Australia in 1937. He was named as one of the three selectors for the New Zealand team to tour England and France in 1939. He retained the role after World War II, coaching the Kiwis between 1947 and 1952. During this time he led a tour of Australia in 1939 and two tours of Great Britain and France, in 1947-48 and 1951–52. In 1958 McClymont coached the Northern Districts side in the ARL Competition. Districts were a combination of the North Shore and Northcote teams.
McClymont died in 1974 and was buried at Purewa Cemetery in Auckland.] He was inducted as a New Zealand Rugby League
The New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. SPARC, 2009: 13 The NZRL was founded on 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year.Coffey and Wood '' ...
Legend of League in 2007.[Three Kiwi greats inducted into New Zealand Legends of League]
''rleague.com'', 17 April 2007
References
1892 births
1974 deaths
Auckland rugby league team players
Burials at Purewa Cemetery
New Zealand national rugby league team captains
New Zealand national rugby league team coaches
New Zealand national rugby league team players
New Zealand rugby league coaches
New Zealand rugby league players
Ponsonby Ponies players
Richmond Bulldogs coaches
Rugby league centres
Rugby league five-eighths
Rugby league fullbacks
Rugby league halfbacks
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