Stewart's Melville RFC is a

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

club based in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. The team competes in

Scottish National League Division Two The Scottish National League Division Two (known as Tennent's National League Division 2 for sponsorship reasons) is the third tier of the Scottish League Championship for amateur rugby union clubs in Scotland. The division was established in it ...

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

Inverleith Inverleith (Scottish Gaelic language, 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, Edinburgh, Trinity to the north 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 located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

were played.

History

The club took on its present form following the merger of Stewart's College FP and Melville College FP 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 all-boys' Private schools in the United Kingdom, private day 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 p ...

(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 two XVs on a regular basis. The 1st and 2nd XVs both play in competitive leagues with the 2nd XV currently playing in East Region Reserve League Division 1.

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 Melros ...

** 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 of ...

** 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 ever ...

** 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) a ...

** 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 i ...

** 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 T ...

** Champions (1): 1982 *

Edinburgh Northern Sevens Edinburgh Northern Sevens is an annual rugby sevens tournament held by Edinburgh Northern, in the Inverleith district of Edinburgh, Scotland. History The first rugby sevens tournament took place in 1955 and it has been played in all subsequent ...

** 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 * 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 and at the time played club rugby for Stewart's Melville FP. Rugby Union caree ...

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 Rugby union teams in Scotland Rugby union in Edinburgh Sports clubs and teams in Edinburgh 1973 establishments in Scotland {{Edinburgh-stub