Mason Scott
Encyclopedia
Mason Thompson Scott was an English
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...

 half back who played club rugby for Cambridge University
Cambridge University R.U.F.C.
The Cambridge University Rugby Union Football Club, or CURUFC, is the rugby union club of Cambridge University, and plays Oxford University in the annual Varsity Match at Twickenham stadium every December. CURUFC players wear light blue and white hooped jerseys with a red lion crest...

 and Northern
Northern Football Club
Northern Football Club are a rugby union club that was founded in 1875, and are based in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne. Their strip is coloured navy Blue, Red and White...

. Scott played international rugby for 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...

 and was an original member of invitational team, the Barbarians
Barbarian 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...

.

Personal history

Scott was born in 1865 in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...

, the fourth son of Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet of Beauclerc
Walter Scott (1st Baronet of Beauclerc)
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet of Beauclerc was an English building contractor and publisher. Based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Scott began his profession as a mason, before setting up his own building firm, completing many major architectural projects in the North East of England and notable railway...

 and Ann Brough. Scott was educated at Craigmount School
Craigmount School
For the modern high school see Craigmount High School.Craigmount School was a private school originally for boys, but for most of its history for girls, in Edinburgh. It opened in 1874 and closed in 1966. In its short history, it produced a number of notable alumni.-History:Craigmount was founded...

 in Edinburgh, and matriculated to Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...

 in 1884. He was awarded his BA in 1888, and on leaving University, became a publisher. He married Flora Alice Williams on 30 November 1899, and they had a daughter, Flora Brookbank Scott. His younger brother, William
William Martin Scott
William Martin Scott was an English international rugby union half back who played club rugby for Cambridge University and Northern...

, followed his brother being educated at Craigmount and Jesus College, and was also an international rugby player for England. Scott died on 1 June 1916 at Brunstock
Brunstock
Brunstock is a hamlet in the civil parish of Stanwix Rural, in the City of Carlisle district, in the county of Cumbria, England.- Location :It is a few miles away from the small city of Carlisle and near the River Eden, Cumbria, there is also Brunstock Beck nearby.- Nearby settlements :Nearby...

 in Carlisle, and left in his will the sum of £130,000.

Rugby career

Scott first came to note as a rugby player when he represented Cambridge University. Scott played in three Varsity Matches
The Varsity Match
The Varsity Match is an annual rugby union fixture played between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in England. By tradition, the match is held on the second Tuesday of December. In 2005, however, this changed, and the match was on Tuesday 6 December. In 2007, it was held on a Thursday for...

 winning all his sporting 'Blues' in rugby football. Scott's first Blue was in the 1885 Varsity Match, and his clean heel in the first half allowed team-mate William Leake
William Leake (rugby player)
William Ralph Martin Leake was an English rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cambridge University and the Harlequins and international rugby for England. In 1890 Leake became one of the original members of the Barbarians Football Club.Leake also played cricket as a youth, representing...

 to break and set up Brutton for the 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...

. The game ended with Cambridge victorious, two tries to nil. The next season saw Scott and Leake selected again at half back for Cambridge, this time winning by three tries to nil. Scott was central to several moved in his final Varsity match in 1887, combining well with Leake. Scott missed at a drop goal during the game, but set up a clean pass to allow Duncan to successfully drop kick a goal. Later in the match Scott again found Duncan with a good pass to send him through for a try under the posts. Wynne of Cambridge finished the game with a try to give Cambridge their third successive win.

While still at University, Scott was awarded his first international cap for England. Called into the squad to face Ireland as part of the 1887 Home Nations Championship
1887 Home Nations Championship
The 1887 Home Nations Championship was the fifth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 8 January and 12 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales....

, Scott was partnered with England's captain Alan Rotherham
Alan Rotherham
Alan Rotherham was a rugby union international who represented England from 1882 to 1887. He also captained his country. Rotherham is best known for his part in revolutionising half-back play in rugby union, being the first player to demonstrate how a half-back could be the connecting link between...

. The Irish forwards outclassed their English counter-parts, and the possession the Irish backs gained gave them dominace throughout the game. Scott and Rotherham set up a careful defence to prevent the Irish three-quarters from several scoring chances, but the game eventually went to the Irish, winning by two goals to nil.

After leaving Cambridge, Scott joined Northern Rugby Club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne. While representing Northern, Scott won his final two international caps and became the first player to be capped directly from the club. Scott was selected for the final two games of the 1890 Championship
1890 Home Nations Championship
The 1890 Home Nations Championship was the eighth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 1 February and 15 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.-Table:-Results:...

, after England had lost the opener against Wales. Paired at half back with fellow Barbarian Francis Hugh Fox
Francis Hugh Fox
Francis Hugh Fox was an English rugby union forward who played club rugby for Wellington and the Marlborough Nomads and international rugby for England...

, Mason experienced his first international win with England taking the game 6-0. His final match for his country was the last game of the Championship at home to Ireland. Scott played with yet another half back pairing, this time Frederick Spence, but despite the lack of consistency the English back play was solid enough to see a three try win over the Irish.
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