Glasgow District is a Scottish amateur rugby union team which plays in the amateur Scottish Inter-District Championship. The side evolved into the professional provincial side Glasgow Warriors when the Scottish Rugby Union embraced professionalism. However the amateur district is still used for the representation of amateur players in the Inter-District Championship; and this amateur championship guides the selection of Scotland Club XV international players.
Founded in 1872 Glasgow District was a select provincial amateur rugby union team that drew its players mainly from the Greater Glasgow area, as well as others from the rest of the west of Scotland; roughly corresponding to the old Strathclyde regional council area. Historically the Glasgow District team played matches against touring teams visiting Scotland from abroad, and also competed in the Scottish Inter-District Championship.
The Glasgow District rugby union team was founded in 1872. The team played the world's first inter-district match that year against Edinburgh District rugby union team.
The amateur Glasgow District side evolved into the professional Glasgow Warriors side in 1996; one year after rugby union allowed professionalism in 1995.
Formation
The Glasgow District side was formed in 1872 to play against an Edinburgh District side.
The teams met on 23 November 1872 at Burnbank Park at Woodlands in Glasgow; and Edinburgh District won 1 drop goal – 0 in a 20-a-side fixture. This is the oldest inter-district match in the world and to mark this the current Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby sides play for the 1872 Cup every year.[1]
After the initial match at Burnbank, the games rotated - in the twice a season format - between Raeburn Place in Edinburgh and Hamilton Crescent in Partick, Glasgow.
Selection of representative players
Often to aid the selection process of Glasgow District's players a trial match was played.
In Glasgow's case a trial match of hopefuls were divided into Blues and Whites teams, so the players could impress the selectors.[3]
Glasgow also played a 'Rest of the West' team for selection.[4]
Early history
The Inter-City
With the exception of the first four years, the Glasgow v Edinburgh district fixture was more or less played annually; only being beaten by World War and occasional inclement weather.
Typically the Glasgow District side, in its early history, was crammed with Scottish international players.[5]
The Glasgow team for the 5 December 1874 match is an example:[6]
The first 15-a-side match was played on 29 January 1876.
From the Inter-City formation in 1872, Edinburgh won the first two fixtures. Six draws followed, then came sporadic Edinburgh wins and draws. It was not until the 13th inter-city tie that Glasgow won the fixture.
David Kidston (G. Academicals), A. J. W. Reid and C. W. Dunlop (West of Scotland), John Alexander Neilson (West of Scotland) and C. Ker (G. Academicals), D. Y. Cassels [captain], D. McGowan, A. Walker, R. Adam (West of Scotland), R. B. Young, J. Lang (Glasgow University), John Blair Brown, R. A. Kerr, William Andrew Walls, G. H. Robb (G. Academicals).
Glasgow then held dominance until 1887 when once more Edinburgh won again. From the 1880s to the close of the 1890s Edinburgh won a total of only four times in 20-years. The tide turned back in Edinburgh's favour in 1898. With only a solitary Glasgow win in 1905, Edinburgh held sway until 1914.
Hamilton Crescent, New Anniesland, Old Anniesland
The games were postponed during the First World War period. After around 50-years at Hamilton Crescent – the West of Scotland ground in Woodlands, Glasgow – the Glasgow v Edinburgh fixture moved to Glasgow Academical's ground at New Anniesland, Glasgow, in 1921. This move prompted yet another shift in balance as Glasgow once again became the dominant force of the two districts. The fixture moved to Glasgow HSFP's ground Old Anniesland in 1927.
Rugby Union
To coincide with the Scottish Football Union changing its name to the Scottish Rugby Union in 1924,[8] the SRU made the Glasgow District Union into the Glasgow District Rugby Union that same year.[9]
Touring sides
Glasgow often played matches against international and non-international touring teams. Occasionally both Glasgow and Edinburgh would field joint teams against the international touring teams.
One strange example is that of the New South Wales Waratahs world tour in 1927–28. They played against Glasgow District on 12 October 1927. Due to collapse of the Queensland Rugby Union they effectively were a de facto Australian national rugby team at the time and the Australian Rugby Union have decreed that their international matches of that tour should be taken as full tests. In the match against Glasgow, the Waratahs won 10–0.
Scottish Inter-District Championship
Two other Scottish districts South and North and Midlands had also been formed and there was regular matches between the four Scottish districts as well as against the touring sides.
The Scottish Inter-District Championship was established in the 1953–54 season. The Glasgow, Edinburgh, South and North and Midlands sides would play off to see which district was best in Scotland. From 1981 an Anglo-Scots or Scottish Exiles team was also invited into this championship.
Famously the 1989 Glasgow District side went through the entire 1989–90 season undefeated:- winning the Scottish Inter-District Championship outright; drawing 18–18 with Munster away; winning 21–6 against Connacht away; and winning against Fiji[10]
With the advent of professionalism in 1995, the Scottish Rugby Union realised that not even the best semi-professional Scottish club teams could compete in the new Professional Era in rugby union, which was beginning to gain great momentum in the professional leagues of the Southern Hemisphere and the Northern Hemisphere.
In an attempt to stay in touch with the leading nations the SRU formed four professional teams out of the four amateur districts of Scotland in 1996. It was these newly professional teams that would represent Scotland in the Heineken Cup and in the Celtic League. The amateur Glasgow District side was to become the professional Glasgow Warriors side.
For the subsequent history of the professional Glasgow rugby district team from 1996, see Glasgow Warriors.
Rebirth of the amateur district
Glasgow District, or Glasgow and the West, as an amateur district, will return in the 2022–23 Amateur Scottish Inter-District Championship. Its Head Coach will be Kenny Diffenthal of Marr Rugby, aided by assistant coaches Thomas Davidson (Glasgow Hawks) and Stephen Adair (Marr).[13]
It is indeed a great honour and privilege to be selected as Head Coach of Glasgow and the West. Looking ahead, it’s going to be a tough competition, entering the unknown mixing clubs and coaches, but it is an exciting challenge and a great opportunity to bring together talented players from across the District. I have a great team with Thomas and Stephen assisting me and we are looking forward to working closely together to build a strong squad.
* 1885 match played at the 2nd Hampden Park - the modern Hampden Park is the 3rd park with that name. The 2nd Hampden Park was renamed as New Cathkin Park and taken over by Third Lanark.
The Amateur Scottish Inter-District Championship has been restarted twice in the professional era. The first restart was from 1999 to 2002; the second restart from the 2022-23 season.
