Stewart's Melville RFC is a

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 ...

club based in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

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 ...

. They team competes in

Scottish National League Division One The Scottish National League Division One (known as Tennent's National League Division 1 for sponsorship reasons) is the second tier of the Scottish League Championship for amateur rugby union clubs in Scotland. The division was established in it ...

, the second tier of Scottish club rugby. Home matches are played at

Inverleith Inverleith (Scottish Gaelic: ''Inbhir Lìte'') is an inner suburb in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland, on the fringes of the central region of the city. Its neighbours include Trinity to the north and the New Town to the south, with Canonmills a ...

; this was the venue for

's home games between 1899 and 1925, during which time the first matches against

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and

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 ...

were played.

History

The club took on its present form following the merger of

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 ...

and

Melville College FP Melville College Former Pupils is a former rugby union side in Edinburgh, Scotland. History The club was originally known as Edinburgh Institution F.P. However the Edinburgh Institute college, that the rugby union club was based on, moved its ...

in 1973 when the club became known as Stewart's Melville FP RFC. As the name suggests, many of the players in the club's history were former pupils of the

Stewart's Melville College Stewart's Melville College (SMC) is an independent day and boarding school in Edinburgh, Scotland. Classes are all boys in the 1st to 5th years and co-educational in Sixth (final) year. It has a roll of about 750 pupils. The school is twinned w ...

(formed in a merger of Daniel Stewart's College and Melville College) in Edinburgh. This remains the case today, although the club is now 'open' and welcomes players who did not attend the school. The 1st XV were coached by Grant MacKenzie, a P.E. teacher who worked at the school, and who died in 2008. In June 2014 the club resolved at an AGM to shorten the name to Stewart's Melville RFC. The club currently run three XVs on a regular basis. The 1st and 2nd XVs both play in competitive national leagues, with the 2nd XV currently in the second division of the reserve leagues. Below this level, the club operate a 'social' 3rd XV which provides rugby for those who just wish to play recreationally.

Club Honours

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 ...

** Champions (1): 1979 *

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 ...

** Champions (2): 1979, 1983 *

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 ...

** Champions (2): 1980, 1992 *

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 ...

** Champions (2): 1976, 1980 *

Kelso Sevens Kelso Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Kelso RFC, in Kelso, Scotland. This was one of a group of Sevens tournaments instated after the First World War extending the original Borders Spring Circuit. The Kelso Sevens began in 1920. ...

** Champions (1): 1978, 1979 *

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) ...

** Champions (1): 1980 *

Selkirk Sevens Selkirk Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Selkirk RFC, in Selkirk, Scotland. This was one of a group of Sevens tournaments instated after the First World War extending the original Borders Spring Circuit. The Selkirk Sevens began ...

** Champions (2): 1976, 1977 *

Middlesex Sevens The Middlesex Sevens was a Rugby Sevens tournament held annually at Twickenham stadium in London, England until 2011. It was first held in 1926, and started by Dr J.A. Russell-Cargill, a London-based Scot.Bath, ''Scotland Rugby Miscellany'', p82 Th ...

** Champions (1): 1982 * Edinburgh Northern Sevens ** Champions (1): 2003, 2006

Recent Internationals

Richie Vernon Richie Vernon (born 7 July 1987) is a former Scotland international rugby union player with London Scottish. He previously was with Glasgow Warriors, playing for the Glasgow side over two spells. He has also previously played for the now defunc ...

Ross Rennie Ross Rennie (born 29 March 1986 in Scotland) is a former rugby union player. He first played for Edinburgh Rugby and then Bristol Rugby as well as representing the Scotland national team. His position of choice is Flanker. He was called up t ...

Graham Shiel Graham Shiel (born 13 August 1970 in Galashiels, Scotland ) is the skills coach of the Scotland rugby 7's team. He is now retired from playing rugby, having made 18 appearances for the Scotland national rugby union team and once for the natio ...

* Graeme Burns *

Dougie Morgan Douglas Waugh Morgan (9 March 1947 – 5 April 2020) was a Scotland international rugby union player. In 1977 he toured New Zealand with the British and Irish Lions The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eli ...

Alex Brewster Alexander Kinloch Brewster (born 3 May 1954) is a former rugby union player who gained six caps for the Scotland national rugby union team. He played as a prop for Stewart's Melville RFC. Early life Brewster was born on 3 May 1954 in Dechmont, ...

* Jim Calder *

Finlay Calder Finlay Calder OBE (born 20 August 1957) is a Scotland international former rugby union player. Rugby Union career Amateur career Born in Haddington, East Lothian and educated at Stewart's Melville College, Calder played at open side fla ...

* Douglas Wyllie * Ian Forsyth * A.J.W. Hinshelwood * Scott Riddell * George Turner * Ryan Grant * Douglas Wyllie

References

* Massie, Allan ''A Portrait of Scottish Rugby'' (Polygon, Edinburgh; )

External links

* Rugby clubs established in 1973 Scottish rugby union teams Rugby union in Edinburgh Sports teams in Edinburgh {{Edinburgh-stub