Henry Renny-Tailyour
Encyclopedia
Henry Waugh Renny-Tailyour (9 October 1849 – 15 June 1920) was an amateur all-round sportsman who appeared for Scotland
in some of the earliest international football
and rugby union
matches, remaining to this day the only player to have represented the country in both codes. He also played first class cricket for Kent
and was an accomplished athlete.
, North-Western Provinces
, India
, while his Scottish father was serving in the army there. He grew up on the family estate at Newmanswalls, Montrose, Angus
, and was educated at Cheltenham College
before entering the British Army
, joining the Royal Engineers
. A lieutenant
at the time of his sporting achievements in the 1870s and 1880s, he eventually reached the rank of colonel
. After retiring from army service, he became managing director of the Guinness
company. He died at Montrose.
regimental team in the early days of organised football, when they were one of the strongest teams in England as a result of their innovative combination game
. A forward, he played in the first ever FA Cup Final
in 1872
, finishing on the losing side. The Royal Engineers lost 1-0 that day to the Wanderers
, but returned in 1874 to face Oxford University
, a match which they lost 2-0. The Engineers finally won the cup in 1875 - 3-0, after a 1-1 draw, with Renny-Tailyour scoring in both matches against Old Etonians
. This was his last cup final appearance.
Renny-Tailyour was selected to represent Scotland
on two occasions. First he appeared against England
at The Oval
in London
on 17 November 1871. This match, however, is not regarded as an official international, the Scottish team being entirely composed of London area residents. Renny-Tailyour was selected again in 1873, when England hosted an official international between the two countries for the first time. His residence again proved to be a factor, as the fledgling Scottish Football Association
was only able to fund eight players to travel to London. It was therefore necessary to supplement the team with three others based in the south. Renny-Tailyour's goal in Scotland's 4-2 defeat at The Oval gave him the honour of scoring Scotland's first ever international goal.
His family connections with Montrose led him be appointed as the local football club's
Honorary President, 1887-88.
, Strathmore and Aberdeenshire, but also played at first class level, albeit only 28 matches over a period of a decade. As well as representing Kent, Renny-Tailyor appeared for the Gentlemen in Gentlemen v Players
matches, and also played in first class matches for MCC
, Gentlemen of the South, the South of England and a combined Kent and Gloucestershire XI.
in one of that sport's earliest internationals, against England
at The Oval in 1872
.
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...
in some of the earliest international football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
and 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...
matches, remaining to this day the only player to have represented the country in both codes. He also played first class cricket for Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
and was an accomplished athlete.
Biography
Renny-Tailyour was born at MussoorieMussoorie
Mussoorie is a city and a municipal board in the Dehradun District of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is located about 35 km from the state capital of Dehradun and 290 km north from the national capital of New Delhi...
, North-Western Provinces
United Provinces of Agra and Oudh
The United Provinces of Agra and Oudh was a province of India under the British Raj, which existed from 1902 to 1947; the official name was shortened by the Government of India Act 1935 to United Provinces, by which the province had been commonly known, and by which name it was also a province of...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, while his Scottish father was serving in the army there. He grew up on the family estate at Newmanswalls, Montrose, Angus
Montrose, Angus
Montrose is a coastal resort town and former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. It is situated 38 miles north of Dundee between the mouths of the North and South Esk rivers...
, and was educated at Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College is a co-educational independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.One of the public schools of the Victorian period, it was opened in July 1841. An Anglican foundation, it is known for its classical, military and sporting traditions.The 1893 book Great...
before entering the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, joining the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
. A lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
at the time of his sporting achievements in the 1870s and 1880s, he eventually reached the rank of colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
. After retiring from army service, he became managing director of the Guinness
Guinness
Guinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost...
company. He died at Montrose.
Football
Renny-Tailyour represented the Royal EngineersRoyal Engineers A.F.C.
The Royal Engineers Association Football Club is an association football team representing the Corps of Royal Engineers, the "Sappers", of the British Army. In the 1870s it was one of the strongest sides in English football, winning the FA Cup in 1875 and being Cup Finalists in four of the first...
regimental team in the early days of organised football, when they were one of the strongest teams in England as a result of their innovative combination game
Combination Game
The Combination Game was a style of association football based around team work and cooperation. It would gradually favour the passing of the ball between players over individual dribbling skills which had been a notable feature of early Association games. It developed from "scientific" football...
. A forward, he played in the first ever FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
in 1872
FA Cup Final 1872
Match rules:90 minutes normal time.30 minutes extra-time if scores are level, at captains' discretion.Replay if scores still level.No substitutes.-Post-match:...
, finishing on the losing side. The Royal Engineers lost 1-0 that day to the Wanderers
Wanderers F.C.
Wanderers Football Club is an English amateur football club, based in London, that plays in the Surrey South Eastern Combination. Founded as Forest Football Club in 1859, the club changed its name to Wanderers in 1864....
, but returned in 1874 to face Oxford University
Oxford University A.F.C.
Oxford University Association Football Club is an English football club representing the University of Oxford.-History:Formed in 1872, the club was a giant of the 1870s, winning the FA Cup 2-0 against Royal Engineers in 1874 and finishing the competition as runners up in 1873, 1877 and 1880, the...
, a match which they lost 2-0. The Engineers finally won the cup in 1875 - 3-0, after a 1-1 draw, with Renny-Tailyour scoring in both matches against Old Etonians
Old Etonians F.C.
The Old Etonians Football Club is an English football club whose players are taken from previous attendees of Eton College, in Eton, Berkshire.-History:...
. This was his last cup final appearance.
Renny-Tailyour was selected to represent Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
on two occasions. First he appeared against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 17 November 1871. This match, however, is not regarded as an official international, the Scottish team being entirely composed of London area residents. Renny-Tailyour was selected again in 1873, when England hosted an official international between the two countries for the first time. His residence again proved to be a factor, as the fledgling Scottish Football Association
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
was only able to fund eight players to travel to London. It was therefore necessary to supplement the team with three others based in the south. Renny-Tailyour's goal in Scotland's 4-2 defeat at The Oval gave him the honour of scoring Scotland's first ever international goal.
His family connections with Montrose led him be appointed as the local football club's
Montrose F.C.
Montrose Football Club is a Scottish semi-professional football team, based in the town of Montrose, Angus. They are members of the Scottish Football League and currently play in the Third Division.- Early years :...
Honorary President, 1887-88.
Cricket
A middle order batsman and occasional bowler, Renny-Tailyour's cricketing career was restricted by his army service. He played mostly minor cricket, for the Royal Engineers, I ZingariI Zingari
I Zingari are English and Australian amateur cricket clubs.-History:...
, Strathmore and Aberdeenshire, but also played at first class level, albeit only 28 matches over a period of a decade. As well as representing Kent, Renny-Tailyor appeared for the Gentlemen in Gentlemen v Players
Gentlemen v Players
The Gentlemen v Players game was a first-class cricket match that was generally played on an annual basis between one team consisting of amateurs and one of professionals . The first two games took place in 1806 but the fixture was not revived until 1819. It was more or less annual thereafter...
matches, and also played in first class matches for MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
, Gentlemen of the South, the South of England and a combined Kent and Gloucestershire XI.
Rugby
Renny-Tailyour also played for the Royal Engineers on the rugby field, and represented ScotlandScotland 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...
in one of that sport's earliest internationals, against England
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 The Oval in 1872
1871-72 Home Nations rugby union matches
The 1871-72 Home Nations rugby union matches was a single international friendly held between the England and Scotland national rugby union teams...
.
External links
- Brief profile from CricketArchive
- Royal Engineers Museum When the Sappers won the FA Cup (1875)
- Versatile internationals, drop goal specialists and FA Cup Final connections (Scrum.com)
See also
- List of Scottish cricket and rugby union players