Thomas Chalmers (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Chalmers was a Scottish international rugby
and cricket player.
, the son of a merchant draper. He married Marion Dun Carrick, sister of the famed James Stewart Carrick
, in 1883 and they had one son, Archibald Patrick Chalmers, born in 1888. Thomas Chalmers died in Glasgow in 1926.
fullback. He played in the first six international test matches, all of them against , between 1871 and 1876, including 's very first match. He was a solid tackler, good kicker and handy dribbler (a tactic of the time). He played club rugby for the Glasgow Academicals, which was the strongest club in Scotland at the time.
In October 1872, Chalmers took part in a trial match for the Scotland
team for the first association football international match
against England
and was named in the list of 17 possible players. Chalmers was praised as "a capital goalkeeper, albeit the rules were new to him." In the event, the entire Scottish team was made up of members of the Queen's Park
club.
He was a cousin of the Neilson brothers
, who played for Scotland and then became Presidents of the SRU
(then the Scottish Football Union) and his nephew John Knox played in the 1903 Triple Crown
winning rugby team.
, Garrett and others.
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
and cricket player.
Biography
Thomas Chalmers was born in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, the son of a merchant draper. He married Marion Dun Carrick, sister of the famed James Stewart Carrick
James Stewart Carrick
James Stewart Carrick was a Scottish rugby union and cricket player. He died in Seattle, Washington in 1923....
, in 1883 and they had one son, Archibald Patrick Chalmers, born in 1888. Thomas Chalmers died in Glasgow in 1926.
Rugby
One of the earliest Scottish players, he is sometimes considered the first great Scottish rugbyRugby union in Scotland
Rugby union is a popular team sport in Scotland. The national side today competes in the annual Six Nations Championship and the Rugby World Cup. The first ever international rugby match was played on March 27, 1871, at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh, when Scotland defeated England in front of 4,000...
fullback. He played in the first six international test matches, all of them against , between 1871 and 1876, including 's very first match. He was a solid tackler, good kicker and handy dribbler (a tactic of the time). He played club rugby for the Glasgow Academicals, which was the strongest club in Scotland at the time.
In October 1872, Chalmers took part in a trial match for the 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...
team for the first association football international match
Scotland v England (1872)
Scotland v England was the first ever official international football match to be played. It was contested by the national teams of Scotland and England. The match took place on 30 November 1872 at West of Scotland Cricket Club's ground at Hamilton Crescent in Partick, Scotland...
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...
and was named in the list of 17 possible players. Chalmers was praised as "a capital goalkeeper, albeit the rules were new to him." In the event, the entire Scottish team was made up of members of the Queen's Park
Queen's Park F.C.
Queen's Park Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland. The club are currently the only amateur club in the Scottish League; their amateur status is reflected by their motto, Ludere Causa Ludendi – to play for the sake of playing.Queen's Park are the oldest...
club.
He was a cousin of the Neilson brothers
George Neilson
George Neilson was a Scottish rugby football player.He was capped fourteen times for between 1891-96. He also played for West of Scotland FC.-Family:...
, who played for Scotland and then became Presidents of the SRU
Scottish Rugby Union
The Scottish Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland. It is the second oldest Rugby Union, having been founded in 1873, as the Scottish Football Union.-History:...
(then the Scottish Football Union) and his nephew John Knox played in the 1903 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...
winning rugby team.
Cricket
He also represented Scotland at cricket. He was an excellent batsman and a good medium paced bowler. On one occasion playing for West of Scotland against Australia in 1878 he scored 38 against the bowling of Fred SpofforthFred Spofforth
Frederick Robert "Fred" Spofforth , also known as "The Demon Bowler", was arguably the Australian cricket team's finest pace bowler of the nineteenth century and was the first bowler to take 50 Test wickets, and the first to take a test hat-trick in 1879...
, Garrett and others.
See also
- List of Scottish cricket and rugby union players
External links
- GlasgowHawks.com - CMS at www.glasgowhawks.com History of the Glasgow Hawks