Henry Renny-Tailyour

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Henry Waugh Renny-Tailyour (October 9, 1849June 15, 1920) was an amateur all-round sportsman who appeared for Scotland in some of the earliest international football and rugby union matches, remaining to this day the only player to have represented the country in both codes. He also played first class cricket for Kent and was an accomplished athlete.

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[edit] Biography

Renny-Tailyour was born at Mussoorie, North-Western Provinces, India, while his Scottish father was serving in the army there. He grew up on the family estate at Newmanswalls, Montrose, Angus, and was educated at Cheltenham College before entering the British Army, joining the Royal Engineers. A lieutenant at the time of his sporting achievements in the 1870s and 1880s, he eventually reached the rank of colonel. After retiring from army service, he became managing director of the Guinness company. He died at Montrose.

[edit] Football

Henry Renny-Tailyour
Personal information
Full name Henry Waugh Renny-Tailyour
Date of birth October 9, 1849
Place of birth    Mussoorie, India
Date of death    June 15, 1920
Place of death    Montrose, Scotland
Playing position Forward
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
Royal Engineers n/a   
National team
1873 Scotland 1 (1)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only.
* Appearances (Goals)

Renny-Tailyour represented the Royal Engineers regimental team in the early days of organised football, when they were one of the strongest teams in England. A forward, he played in the first ever FA Cup Final in 1872, finishing on the losing side. The Royal Engineers lost 1-0 that day to the Wanderers, but returned in 1874 to face Oxford University, a match which they lost 2-0. The Engineers finally won the cup in 1875 - 3-0, after a 1-1 draw, with Renny-Tailyour scoring in both matches against Old Etonians. This was his last cup final appearance.

Renny-Tailyour was selected to represent Scotland in unusual circumstances in 1873, when England hosted an official international between the two countries for the first time. The fledgling Scottish Football Association was only able to fund eight players to travel to London, therefore it was necessary to supplement the team with three others based in the south. Renny-Tailyour's goal in Scotland's 4-2 defeat at The Oval gave him the honour of scoring Scotland's first ever international goal.

His family connections with Montrose led him be appointed as the local football club's Honorary President, 1887-88.

[edit] Honours


[edit] Cricket

Scottish Flag
HW Renny-Tailyour
Scotland (Sco)
HW Renny-Tailyour
Batting style Right-handed batsman
Bowling type Right arm fast (roundarm)
First-class record
Matches 28
Runs scored 818
Batting average 19.02
100s/50s 1/4
Top score 124
Balls bowled 220
Wickets 5
Bowling average 17.40
5 wickets in innings 0
10 wickets in match 0
Best Bowling 2/28
Catches/Stumpings 16/0
First class debut: July 17, 1873
Last first class game: August 9, 1883
Source: CricketArchive

A middle order batsman and occasional bowler, Renny-Tailyour's cricketing career was restricted by his army service. He played mostly minor cricket, for the Royal Engineers, I Zingari, Strathmore and Aberdeenshire, but also played at first class level, albeit only 28 matches over a period of a decade. As well as representing Kent, Renny-Tailyor appeared for the Gentlemen in Gentlemen v Players matches, and also played in first class matches for MCC, Gentlemen of the South, the South of England and a combined Kent and Gloucestershire XI.

[edit] Rugby

Renny-Tailyour also played for the Royal Engineers on the rugby field, and also represented Scotland in one of that sport's earliest internationals, against England at The Oval in 1872.

[edit] External links