| Full name | Darsie Gordon Anderson | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of birth | Abbey Wood, England | ||
| Place of death | Guildford, England | ||
| Rugby union career | |||
| Playing career | |||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Amateur clubs | |||
| Years | Club / team | ||
| London Scottish F.C. Barbarian F.C. |
|||
| National team(s) | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 1889-1892 | Scotland | 8 | (2) |
Darsie Gordon Anderson (22 February 1868 - December 1937)[1] was an English-born rugby union half back who played club rugby for London Scottish. At international level he represented Scotland winning eight caps over four seasons.
Anderson was born in Abbey Wood, Greenwich in 1868 to John Anderson and May Margaret Gordon, but by the age of 13 was bordering at a private school in the Chanonry in Aberdeen.[2] On the 25 October 1899, he married Constance Mary Louise Neild, and they had four children, all girls. By 1919, Anderson is listed at Campden Hill in London, and is a Fellow of the Zoological Society of London.[3]
Anderson played for two major club team's during his career, London Welsh and The Barbarians. Anderson was already playing for London Welsh when he was awarded his first international cap, in Scotland's closing encounter of the 1889 Home Nations Championship, away to Ireland. Anderson was partnered at half back with Charles Orr, with whom Anderson would play all eight of his international appearances. Scotland won the match against the Irish, by a single drop goal, and Anderson and Orr became a regular partnership from that point. Both men lined up for all three games of the 1890 Championship, which saw Scotland lose the title in their final match of the series to England. During the 1890 tournament, Anderson scored his only international points, with a try in the win over Wales.
The next season, Anderson was approached by William Percy Carpmael to join his newly formed invitational touring team, the Barbarains. Anderson accepted, becoming one of the team's founding members.[4] The 1891 Home Nations Championship saw Scotland win all three games of the competition to take the Triple Crown. Anderson played in two of the matches, the country's opening victory over Wales, and the final match away to England. For the Ireland encounter, Anderson was replaced by William Wotherspoon; but on his return for the England game, along with Gregor MacGregor, Anderson was seen as the outstanding player of the match.[5]
Anderson played in one final Championship in 1892, with a win over Wales, but his final international was a home loss to England.