The University of St Andrews Rugby Football Club is an affiliated member of the
University of St Andrews Athletic Union
(AIEN ARISTEUEIN)
, established = 1901
, type = Athletic Union
, president = Jess Smith
, city = St Andrews
, state = Fife
, country = Scotland, UK
, affiliations = British Universities and Colleges Sport Scottish Student Sport
, webs ...
in
Fife,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
. The club runs four men's and two women's teams, which play in the university leagues.
History
It was founded in 1858, making it one of the
oldest football clubs in the world. In 2008, the club celebrated its sesquicentennial year, marking its 150th anniversary.
The club is one of the founder members of the
Scottish Rugby Union
The Scottish Rugby Union (SRU; gd, Aonadh Rugbaidh na h-Alba) is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland. Styled as Scottish Rugby, it is the second oldest Rugby Union, having been founded in 1873. The SRU oversees the national league s ...
(SRU) and is often quoted as being the birthplace of 'running and passing' rugby, a distinct tactical advancement from the initial 'solo break/kick and chase' tactics which characterised the early years of the game's development.
The club's 1st XV play their home games at University Park, in the
British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) North Premier 2 North. In 2007, the 2nd XV were Scottish University Cup champions and currently play in
BUCS
British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) is the governing body for higher education sport in the United Kingdom. BUCS was formed in June 2008 following a merger of British Universities Sports Association (BUSA) and University College Sport ...
Scottish Division 2A. In 2022, the 3rd XV won
BUCS
British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) is the governing body for higher education sport in the United Kingdom. BUCS was formed in June 2008 following a merger of British Universities Sports Association (BUSA) and University College Sport ...
Scottish 4A, and a 4th XV was started for the first time.
On 24 March 2012 the 1st XV won the RBS Caledonia Division 2 Midlands title, beating Kinross 75–0 to lift the trophy. They were promoted to Caledonia League 1 three weeks later, beating Moray RFC, Caledonia 2 North Champions, 21–0.
In the 2013–14 season, they won BUCS 1A Scotland unbeaten, winning 9 games from 9. The 1st XV also defeated Edinburgh for the first time at the annual Varsity Match since it has been hosted at London Scottish's ground in Richmond.
In the 2014–15 season, having pulled out of the regional league system, they only competed in BUCS leagues. The 1st XV won BUCS 1A Scotland again.
In the 2021-22 season, the club were named Scottish University Sport Club of the Year after the men's 1st, 2nd and 3rd XVs all won their respective leagues. Notably the men's 1st XV also secured promotion to BUCS Premier 2 North and are currently on a two-game win streak in the Scottish Varsity Match against Edinburgh University.
Sevens
The club run the St. Andrews University Sevens tournament
held annually every April. This is the largest student run sevens event in the country.
Notable former players
Men
St Andrews has produced 21 (Men's) international players: 19 for Scotland and 1 each for England and Ireland. Four of which have become
British and Irish Lions
The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The Lions are a test side and most often select players who have already played for their national ...
:
Tyrone Howe
Tyrone Gyle Howe (born 2 April 1971, Newtownards, Northern Ireland) formerly played in rugby union on the wing for University of St Andrews RFC, Ulster, Ireland and the British & Irish Lions.
Howe was brought up in Dromore and attended Banbr ...
,
Duncan Macrae,
Chris Rea and
Robert Stevenson. This means that St Andrews has produced more internationalists than any other Scottish university, bar
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
.
[Jones, p126]
Notably, St Andrews provided three players for the
first ever rugby international:
*
Robert Munro;
*
Alfred Clunies-Ross;
and
*
J. S. Thomson.
[Marshall, p144]
Other subsequent international players include:
*
Peter Anton
*
David Bell
*
Kim Elgie, capped for Scotland, and also for South Africa at cricket.
*
Cameron Glasgow
* C. C. P. Hill/Colin Hill
*
Damian Hopley represented England 1993 - 1995
*
Rab Bruce Lockhart
*
Jon Petrie
*
Hamish Scott
*
Ian Swan
*
Alex Thomson
* D. J. Whyte/David Whyte
* J. S. Wilson
Women
Scotland
The following former St. Andrews University RFC players have represented Scotland at senior international level.
Honours
Men
*
The Scottish Varsity
** Champions (6): 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021, 2022
* St. Andrews University Sevens
** Champions (1): 1942
* Waid Academy F.P. Sevens
** Champions (2): 1992, 1995
* Midlands District Sevens
** Champions (5): 1929, 1954, 1958, 1963, 1965
References
;Sources
* Bath, Richard (ed.) ''The Scotland Rugby Miscellany'' (Vision Sports Publishing Ltd, 2007 )
* Godwin, Terry ''Complete Who's Who of International Rugby'' (Cassell, 1987, )
* Jones, J.R. ''Encyclopedia of Rugby Football'' (Robert Hale, London, 1958)
* Marshall, Francis, ''Football; the Rugby union game'', (1892) (London Paris Melbourne, Cassell and company, limited)
* Massie, Allan ''A Portrait of Scottish Rugby'' (Polygon, Edinburgh; )
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:University Of St Andrews Rugby Football Club
Clubs and societies of the University of St Andrews, Rugby
St Andrews
St Andrews
Rugby union in Fife
1858 establishments in Scotland
Scottish rugby union teams