Gerry Doran
Encyclopedia
Gerald "Gerry" Percy Doran (15 July 1877 – 31 March 1943) also known as Blucher Doran, was an Irish
international rugby union
wing who played club rugby for Lansdowne. Doran played international rugby for Ireland
and in 1899 he was selected for the British Isles
team on its tour of Australia
. Doran's older brother Eddie and younger brother, Bertie, also played international rugby for Ireland.
Doran is most notable within rugby for scoring the winning try in the final game of the 1899 Home Nations Championship, which gave Ireland their second Triple Crown
.
, as he always arrived late.
Doran was first capped for Ireland in the country's second encounter of the 1899 Home Nations Championship
, played away from home against Scotland. Ireland had begun the tournament with a win over England, but swapped out three of the four threequarter players for the game in Scotland. Doran was brought in on the wing opposite Edward Campbell
, in a game which saw Ireland beat the Scottish on their own soil. Doran was reselected for the final game of the Championship, played against Wales
at the Cardiff Arms Park
. The game was a chaotic affair, interrupted several times as crowds overflowed onto the pitch. Doran scored the only points of the game, his first international try
, which not only gave Ireland the Championship, but also the Triple Crown.
After the 1899 Championship victory, Doran was invited to tour Australia with Matthew Mullineux
's British Isles team. Doran played in twelve of the twenty tour matches, and was chosen for the first two Test matches against the Australian national team
. Although Doran failed to score in the Test matches he amassed six tries in the invitational games.
On his return to Britain, Doran was reselected for the Ireland national team, playing in the opening game of the 1900 Championship
, a loss against England. Despite the loss, Doran was reselected for the very next match, his first international played in Ireland. The game was played at Lansdowne Road
against Scotland, and is notable as being the first international game for Doran's brother, Bertie. Doran and Bertie played three international games together, though neither played with older brother Eddie, as his international career was over by 1890. Doran missed the 1901 Championship, but played in the final two games of the 1902 tournament
, scoring a try in a win over Scotland, but then losing heavily to Wales. Doran played in two more international games, both ending in losses, to Wales in 1903
and against England in 1904
.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
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...
wing who played club rugby for Lansdowne. Doran played international rugby for Ireland
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...
and in 1899 he was selected 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 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...
. Doran's older brother Eddie and younger brother, Bertie, also played international rugby for Ireland.
Doran is most notable within rugby for scoring the winning try in the final game of the 1899 Home Nations Championship, which gave Ireland their second Triple Crown
Triple Crown (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...
.
Rugby career
Doran played all his international rugby while representing Lansdowne, captaining the club for two seasons between 1898 and 1900. His nickname within the club was Blucher, a reference to Field Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von BlücherGebhard Leberecht von Blücher
Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, Fürst von Wahlstatt , Graf , later elevated to Fürst von Wahlstatt, was a Prussian Generalfeldmarschall who led his army against Napoleon I at the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig in 1813 and at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 with the Duke of Wellington.He is...
, as he always arrived late.
Doran was first capped for Ireland in the country's second encounter of the 1899 Home Nations Championship
1899 Home Nations Championship
The 1899 Home Nations Championship was the seventeenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 5 January and 18 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales....
, played away from home against Scotland. Ireland had begun the tournament with a win over England, but swapped out three of the four threequarter players for the game in Scotland. Doran was brought in on the wing opposite Edward Campbell
Edward Fitzhardinge Campbell
Edward Fitzhardinge Campbell was an Irish rugby international. He won four caps between 1899 and 1900.-References:* at Scrum.com*...
, in a game which saw Ireland beat the Scottish on their own soil. Doran was reselected for the final game of the Championship, played against 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...
at the Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...
. The game was a chaotic affair, interrupted several times as crowds overflowed onto the pitch. Doran scored the only points of the game, his first international 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...
, which not only gave Ireland the Championship, but also the Triple Crown.
After the 1899 Championship victory, Doran was invited to tour Australia with Matthew Mullineux
Matthew 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. Doran played in twelve of the twenty tour matches, and was chosen for the first two Test matches against the Australian national team
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...
. Although Doran failed to score in the Test matches he amassed six tries in the invitational games.
On his return to Britain, Doran was reselected for the Ireland national team, playing in the opening game of the 1900 Championship
1900 Home Nations Championship
The 1900 Home Nations Championship was the eighteenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 6 January and 17 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.-Table:-Results:...
, a loss against England. Despite the loss, Doran was reselected for the very next match, his first international played in Ireland. The game was played at Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...
against Scotland, and is notable as being the first international game for Doran's brother, Bertie. Doran and Bertie played three international games together, though neither played with older brother Eddie, as his international career was over by 1890. Doran missed the 1901 Championship, but played in the final two games of the 1902 tournament
1902 Home Nations Championship
The 1902 Home Nations Championship was the twentieth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 11 January and 15 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales....
, scoring a try in a win over Scotland, but then losing heavily to Wales. Doran played in two more international games, both ending in losses, to Wales in 1903
1903 Home Nations Championship
The 1903 Home Nations Championship was the twenty-first series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 10 January and 21 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.-Table:-Results:...
and against England in 1904
1904 Home Nations Championship
The 1904 Home Nations Championship was the twenty-second series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 9 January and 19 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.-Table:-Results:...
.