Robert Neilson
Birth name | Robert Thomson Neilson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 17 November 1878 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Bothwell, Scotland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of death | 16 July 1946 | (aged 67)||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of death | Prestwick, Scotland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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44th President of the Scottish Rugby Union | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 1923–1924 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Herbert Dixon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Robert Campbell MacKenzie | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Robert Neilson (17 November 1874 – 16 July 1946) was a Scotland international rugby union player.[1][2]
Rugby Union career
[edit]Amateur career
[edit]He also played for West of Scotland FC.[1][3]
Provincial career
[edit]He was capped for Glasgow District in 1898.[3]
International career
[edit]He was capped six times for Scotland between 1898 and 1900.[1][4]
Administrative career
[edit]He was President of the Scottish Rugby Union for the period 1923 to 1924.[5]
Family
[edit]His father was James Neilson, an Ironmaster and second cousin of Walter Montgomerie Neilson and his mother was Jane Thomson, daughter of George Thomson, the famous Glasgow shipbuilder. He attended Merchiston Castle School.
He was the brother of George, Gordon and Willie Neilson who were also capped for Scotland.[1] In 1891, he made his debut, along with his brother George in the game against Wales – it is the only time that brothers have debuted together for Scotland, with the exception of the joint debut of Gavin and Scott Hastings.[6] One of the four Neilson brothers played in each of the twenty five matches between Willie and George's debut in 1891, until 1899, when Robert had to withdraw from the Calcutta Cup line-up after breaking his nose.[6] Robert played another match in 1900.[1]
Along with his brothers, Willie and George, he was a president of the Scottish Rugby Union.
References
[edit]- Sources
- Bath, Richard (ed.) The Scotland Rugby Miscellany (Vision Sports Publishing Ltd, 2007 ISBN 1-905326-24-6)
- Thorburn, Sandy The History of Scottish Rugby
- 1870s births
- 1946 deaths
- People educated at Merchiston Castle School
- Scottish rugby union players
- Scotland international rugby union players
- Neilson family
- West of Scotland FC players
- Glasgow District (rugby union) players
- Presidents of the Scottish Rugby Union
- Rugby union players from South Lanarkshire
- Rugby union halfbacks
- Scottish rugby union biography stubs