Alan Ayre-Smith
Encyclopedia
Alan Ayre-Smith was an English
international rugby union
forward who played club rugby for Guy's Hospital
. Ayre-Smith played international rugby for the British Isles
team on its 1899 tour of Australia
.
in 1876 to Dr. Robert Ayre-Smith and Catherine Jane Clarke. He married Meta Turnbull and had one son. Ayre-Smith was educated at Durham University
, and gained his degree in Chemistry and Physics. He completed his medical training at Guy's Hospital
in London. In 1900, as part of the British efforts during the Boer War
, he travelled to South Africa
and worked as a dresser in the Imperial Yeomanry Hospital under Dr. Alfred Fripp
.
's British Isles team on the first official tour of Australia. Ayre-Smith played in 17 of the 20 tour matches and represented Britain in all four Test Matches against Australia
. He played in the opening game of the tour, against Central Southern at Goulburn, New South Wales
, before the team headed to Sydney
. There he played against the New South Wales Waratahs
, but missed the game against Metropolitan. Ayre-Smith was back in the team for the First Test, which the British Isles lost, 3-13. Ayre-Smith played in six of the seven invitational games between the First and Second Tests, where he was dropped from the game against Queensland, but scored his first try
of the tour in the encounter with Rockhampton. Mullineux reacted to the First Test defeat, by dropping himself from the team, and moving Charlie Adamson
in to his vacated half-back position for the Second Test. This was seen as the turning point of the tour and Ayre-Smith was not only part of a winning British team in the Second Test, but also scored his one and only international try during the game. Ayre-Smith played in both the final Test games, both played in Sydney and both resulting in British victories.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
international rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
forward who played club rugby for Guy's Hospital
Guy's, Kings and St. Thomas' Rugby Football Club
Guy's, Kings and St. Thomas' Rugby Football Club is the name given to the modern amalgam of three formerly distinct hospital rugby clubs each with a long history, having all been founded in the nineteenth century. The teams from Guy's Hospital and St Thomas' Hospital were the first to merge...
. Ayre-Smith played international rugby for the British Isles
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
team on its 1899 tour of Australia
1899 British Lions tour to Australia
The 1899 British Isles tour to Australia was the fourth rugby union tour by a British Isles team and the second to Australia; though the first tour in 1888 was a private venture, making the 1899 tour the first official undertaking of Australia...
.
Personal history
Ayre-Smith was born in Richmond, YorkshireRichmond, North Yorkshire
Richmond is a market town and civil parish on the River Swale in North Yorkshire, England and is the administrative centre of the district of Richmondshire. It is situated on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and serves as the Park's main tourist centre...
in 1876 to Dr. Robert Ayre-Smith and Catherine Jane Clarke. He married Meta Turnbull and had one son. Ayre-Smith was educated at Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
, and gained his degree in Chemistry and Physics. He completed his medical training at Guy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in south east London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It is a large teaching hospital and is home to the King's College London School of Medicine...
in London. In 1900, as part of the British efforts during the Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, he travelled to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and worked as a dresser in the Imperial Yeomanry Hospital under Dr. Alfred Fripp
Alfred Downing Fripp (surgeon)
Sir Alfred Downing Fripp K.C.V.O. was a surgeon at Guy's Hospital, London.He was born in Dorset, the son of the artist Alfred Downing Fripp. His godfather was royal tutor John Neale Dalton...
.
Rugby career
Ayre-Smith played club rugby for Guy's Hospital, and in 1899 he was selected to join Matthew MullineuxMatthew Mullineux
Matthew Mullineux MC was an English rugby union scrum-half who, although not capped for England, was selected for two British Lions tours. He gained one cap during the 1896 tour to South Africa and captained the 1899 tour of Australia...
's British Isles team on the first official tour of Australia. Ayre-Smith played in 17 of the 20 tour matches and represented Britain in all four Test Matches against Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
. He played in the opening game of the tour, against Central Southern at Goulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and above sea-level. On Census night 2006, Goulburn had a population of 20,127 people...
, before the team headed to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. There he played against the New South Wales Waratahs
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
, but missed the game against Metropolitan. Ayre-Smith was back in the team for the First Test, which the British Isles lost, 3-13. Ayre-Smith played in six of the seven invitational games between the First and Second Tests, where he was dropped from the game against Queensland, but scored his first try
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
of the tour in the encounter with Rockhampton. Mullineux reacted to the First Test defeat, by dropping himself from the team, and moving Charlie Adamson
Charlie Adamson
Charles "Charlie" Young Adamson was an English international rugby union utility back who played club rugby for Durham. Adamson played international rugby for the British Isles team on its 1899 tour of Australia...
in to his vacated half-back position for the Second Test. This was seen as the turning point of the tour and Ayre-Smith was not only part of a winning British team in the Second Test, but also scored his one and only international try during the game. Ayre-Smith played in both the final Test games, both played in Sydney and both resulting in British victories.