Thomas Chalmers (rugby player)

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Thomas Chalmers (1850-1926) was born in Glasgow, the son of a merchant draper.

He was the first great Scottish rugby fullback. He played in the first six international test matches, all of them against England. He was a solid tackler, good kicker and handy dribbler (a tactic of the time). He played club rugby for the Glasgow Academicals,(now called the Glasgow Hawks) the strongest club in Scotland at the time. He was a cousin of the Neilson brothers, who played for Scotland and then became Presidents of the SRU and his nephew John Knox played in the 1903 ‘Triple Crown’ winning rugby team.

He also represented Scotland at cricket. He was an excellent batsman and a good medium paced bowler. On one occasion playing for West of Scotland against Australia in 1878 he scored 38 against the bowling of Fred Spofforth, Garrett and others.

He married Marion Dun Carrick, sister of the famed James Stewart Carrick, in 1883 and they had one son, Archibald Patrick Chalmers, born in 1888.

Thomas Chalmers died in Glasgow in 1926.

[edit] References

• The history of Scottish Rugby by Sandy Thorburn

• Wisden Obituaries

[edit] External links

• [1] History of the Glasgow Hawks