Ninian Finlay

Ninian Finlay

Birth name	Ninian Jamieson Finlay
Date of birth	(1858-01-31)31 January 1858
Place of birth	Newhaven, Edinburgh, Scotland
Date of death	7 March 1936(1936-03-07) (aged 78)
Place of death	Edinburgh, Scotland
Rugby union career
Position(s) Half back Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) Edinburgh Academicals () – Edinburgh University RFC () Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 1875 Edinburgh District () 1876 East of Scotland District () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1875-81 Scotland 9 (0)

Ninian Jamieson Finlay (31 January 1858 – 7 March 1936) was an international rugby player for Scotland. He played nine caps for Scotland between 1875 – 1881. He is generally considered to be the youngest player ever to play for Scotland. He was seventeen years and thirty six days old when he played his first cap against England on 8 March 1875. He eagerly competes for this record against Charles Reid, who was the same age when he played his first cap. Reid, however, was a day older because of an extra leap year day when he capped in 1881.

Rugby Union career

Amateur career

Finlay was attending Edinburgh Academy when he played his first cap for Scotland.

"Ninian was still a schoolboy, but was such an incredibly powerful runner and sublime drop-kicker that he became the first real superstar of Scottish rugby."

He later played for Edinburgh Academicals and Edinburgh University RFC.

Provincial career

Finlay played for Edinburgh District.

He played for East of Scotland District in 1876.

International career

The first historian of Scottish rugby, R.J. Phillips, said of Ninian Finlay: "There was never such glamour and reputation attached to any Scottish player till A.R. Don Wauchope reached the zenith of his powers."

Law career

In later life he was a Writer to the Signet.

Family

Ninian was the brother of James Finlay, who played four caps for Scotland (1871–75), Arthur Finlay, who received a single cap (1875) and Robert Finlay, 1st Viscount Finlay.

All three brothers played in the 1875 0-0 draw against England at Raeburn Place, with James drawing his last cap and Arthur and Ninian drawing their first.

References

Sources

1. Bath, Richard (ed.) The Scotland Rugby Miscellany (Vision Sports Publishing Ltd, 2007 ISBN 1-905326-24-6)
2. Godwin, Terry Complete Who's Who of International Rugby (Cassell, 1987, ISBN 0-7137-1838-2)
3. Massie, Allan A Portrait of Scottish Rugby (Polygon, Edinburgh; ISBN 0-904919-84-6)