Duncan Macrae (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Duncan James Macrae was a player for the Scotland national rugby union team
playing 9 games at centre between 1937 and 1939., as well as for the British Isles team
in 1914 and attended primary school in Auchtertyre
, walking several kilometres to and from school. He went to boarding school
at the Edinburgh Academy
between 1925 and 1933 before going to the University of St Andrews
to study medicine graduating in 1939.
. Macrae played his first test for Scotland
against the Wales
in 1937. His best season was in 1938 scoring a try against the Irish
The highlight of the season was a victory against the English
at Twickenham
securing the Triple Crown for Scotland. Macrae formed a great backline combination with Wilson Shaw and Charles Dick for Scotland.
Macrae's good form led to selection as a member of the 1938 British Lions tour to South Africa
. He played in 11 of the first 15 matches of the tour including the first test in Johannesburg
but injury ended his tour prematurely. His rugby career was ended by World War II
.
together with his brother Farquhar Macrae. In January 1940, he went to France
with the 51st Highland Division
serving at medical officer. Macrae was awarded a Military Cross
for his part in the battle at Saint-Valery-en-Caux
but was captured in June 1940 along with others in his Division. He volunteered to serve as medical officer at Stalag VIII B, Lamsdorf, Upper Silesia
.
On his return to Scotland, Macrae practised as a doctor in Dingwall
for 30 years before retiring to Gairloch
. He married Joan Harris of Winnipeg
and raised five children with her. Macrae was a keen churchgoer as well as serving as president of the Ross Sutherland Rugby Football Club
and the Caberfeidh Curling Club.
Macrae died in May 2007 in Gairloch
.
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
playing 9 games at centre between 1937 and 1939., as well as for the British Isles team
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
Early life and career
Macrae was born in BalmacaraBalmacara
Balmacara is a village on the north shore of Loch Alsh near Kyle of Lochalsh, Ross-shire, Highland and is in the Scottish council area of the Highland. Scotland.Shinty club, Kinlochshiel play in the adjacent hamlet of Kirkton....
in 1914 and attended primary school in Auchtertyre
Auchtertyre
Auchtertyre is a village, lying half a mile from the north shore of Loch Alsh near Kyle of Lochalsh, in the Highland and is in the Scottish council area of the Highland Council....
, walking several kilometres to and from school. He went to boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
at the Edinburgh Academy
Edinburgh Academy
The Edinburgh Academy is an independent school which was opened in 1824. The original building, in Henderson Row on the northern fringe of the New Town of Edinburgh, Scotland, is now part of the Senior School...
between 1925 and 1933 before going to the University of St Andrews
University of St Andrews
The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...
to study medicine graduating in 1939.
Rugby union
He also played club rugby for St Andrews University, and attracted attention for his skill and sportsmanship leading to a tour with the BarbariansBarbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
. Macrae played his first test for Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
against the Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
in 1937. His best season was in 1938 scoring a try against the Irish
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
The highlight of the season was a victory against the English
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
at Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
securing the Triple Crown for Scotland. Macrae formed a great backline combination with Wilson Shaw and Charles Dick for Scotland.
Macrae's good form led to selection as a member of the 1938 British Lions tour to South Africa
1938 British Lions tour to South Africa
The 1938 British Isles tour to South Africa was the fourteenth tour by a British Isles team and the sixth to South Africa. The tour is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming convention was not adopted until 1950....
. He played in 11 of the first 15 matches of the tour including the first test in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
but injury ended his tour prematurely. His rugby career was ended by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Subsequent life
He enlisted in the Territorial Army of 4th/5th Seaforth HighlandersSeaforth Highlanders
The Seaforth Highlanders was a historic regiment of the British Army associated with large areas of the northern Highlands of Scotland. The Seaforth Highlanders have varied in size from two battalions to seventeen battalions during the Great War...
together with his brother Farquhar Macrae. In January 1940, he went to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
with the 51st Highland Division
British 51st (Highland) Infantry Division (World War II)
For the First World War unit, see 51st Division .The 51st Infantry Division was a British Territorial Army division that fought during the Second World War...
serving at medical officer. Macrae was awarded a Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for his part in the battle at Saint-Valery-en-Caux
Saint-Valery-en-Caux
Saint-Valery-en-Caux is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A small fishing port and light industrial town situated in the Pays de Caux, some west of Dieppe at the junction of the D53, D20, D79 and the D925 roads...
but was captured in June 1940 along with others in his Division. He volunteered to serve as medical officer at Stalag VIII B, Lamsdorf, Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, the Duchy of Bohemia, the Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as of...
.
On his return to Scotland, Macrae practised as a doctor in Dingwall
Dingwall
Dingwall is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,026. It was formerly an east-coast harbor but now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north of Stirling. On the town's present-day outskirts lies Tulloch Castle, parts...
for 30 years before retiring to Gairloch
Gairloch
Gairloch is a village, civil parish and community on the shores of Loch Gairloch on the northwest coast of Scotland. A popular tourist destination in the summer months, Gairloch has a golf course, a small museum, several hotels, a community centre, a leisure centre with sports facilities, a local...
. He married Joan Harris of Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
and raised five children with her. Macrae was a keen churchgoer as well as serving as president of the Ross Sutherland Rugby Football Club
Ross Sutherland RFC
Ross Sutherland RFC is a rugby union club based in Invergordon, in Easter Ross in the Highlands of Scotland. The first XV play in Caledonia League 2 North and the 2nd XV in Caledonia League 3 NW....
and the Caberfeidh Curling Club.
Macrae died in May 2007 in Gairloch
Gairloch
Gairloch is a village, civil parish and community on the shores of Loch Gairloch on the northwest coast of Scotland. A popular tourist destination in the summer months, Gairloch has a golf course, a small museum, several hotels, a community centre, a leisure centre with sports facilities, a local...
.
See also
Notable Highland players are few and far between, but two notable examples are:- Nairn McEwanNairn McEwanNairn Alexander MacEwan was a Scottish international rugby player and coach. He played at flanker, and was capped twenty times for Scotland between 1971–75, including a try in the match against in 1972....
- John Bannerman