1875–76 Scottish Districts season


The 1875-76 Scottish Districts season is a record of all the rugby union matches played by Scotland's district teams.
It includes the Inter-City fixtures between Glasgow District and Edinburgh District; and the East of Scotland District versus West of Scotland District trial match.

History

The first Inter-City match of the season was played under the 20-a-side rules. Like many Inter-City matches before, this produced a nil-nil draw. It was noticed that this format drew fewer spectators. During the match Glasgow District's Malcolm Cross was seriously injured and had to be stretchered from the ground.
In 1876, it was realised that fewer players on the park might increase the chances of teams scoring. The second match of the Inter-City fixtures was thus played under the now standard 15-a-side rules. The smaller teams provided – as The Glasgow Herald reported – the best Inter-City match ever played; and the attendance, having dropped with the nil-nils previously with the 20-a-side format, was also boosted to 5,000 spectators. Despite the much better match, the score once again ended nil-nil.
Directly after the second inter-city match, the SRU met to discuss a fixture between East and West districts. This would be a chance for players outside the Glasgow and Edinburgh districts to play. The East and West fixture thus became the main trial match for the Scotland international team. The Scotland international team was due to play its English counterparts on 8 March 1876; hence the East v West district match was to be held on Saturday 26 February 1876.
The first East of Scotland District v West of Scotland District trial match ended in a draw; it was noted that both sides had to touch down the ball once behind their own goal-line to prevent the other side scoring.

Results

Inter-City

Glasgow District: J. S. Carrick, J. McGeoch, M. Cross, R. C. McKenzie, J. K. Tod, D. M. Brunton , G. R. Fleming, S. Smith, A. T. Arthur, Allan Arthur, D. H. Watson, W. S. Brown, J. E. Junor, H. McEwen, T. Morrison, W. Law, T. F. Donald, R. Hunter, W. B. Russell, J. Cochrane


Edinburgh District: R. Johnstone, J. Smith, N. J. Finlay, G. Q. Paterson, G. A. Scott, J. Rutherford, James Robertson, Bulldog Irvine, Arthur Marshall, G. Finlay, J. G. Coupar, Gussie Graham, J. Reid, C. Villar, A. G. Petrie, R. B. Murrie, J. G. Smith, Charles Walker Cathcart, G. Atkinson, N. T. Brewis
Edinburgh District: John Smith, Ninian Finlay, G. A. Scott, G. Q. Paterson, James Robertson, Bulldog Irvine , Arthur Finlay, G. Finlay, Gussie Graham, James Andrew Whitelock Mein, R. B. Murrie, Charles Walker Cathcart, James Reid, Charles Villar, Nat Brewis


Glasgow District: G. R. Fleming, Allan Arthur, J. E. Junor, S. Smith, D. M. Watson, H. Napier, J. Cochrane, T. F. Donald, W. B. Russell, T. Morrison, J. K. Tod, J. J. Veral, D. M. Brunton , M. Cross, J. S. Carrick

Other Scottish matches

East of Scotland District: Backs: J. Smith, J. Leslie ;
Half-backs: Ninian Finlay, J. A. Scott,
Quarter-backs: G. Q. Paterson, R. Johnstone,
Forwards: Bulldog Irvine , G. Finlay Gussie Graham,
D. R. Irvine, J. T. Torrie, Alexander Petrie, R. B. Murrie,
J. Reid, C. Hawkins, G. Atkinson, Charles Walker Cathcart,
L. A. Auldjo, D. Barron, H. Hill


West of Scotland District: James Stewart Carrick, Thomas Chalmers, R.C. McKenzie, Hutchinson, D. M. Brunton, John Kennedy Todd, George Raphael Fleming , Allan Arthur, A. T. Arthur, John Junor, David Watson, J. S. Tod, McIntyre, T. F. Donald, Henry Melville Napier, W. B. Russell, Andrews, Kennedy, Lang

English matches

No other District matches played.

International matches

No touring matches this season.