James Reid Kerr

James Reid Kerr

Full name	James Reid Kerr
Date of birth	(1883-12-04)4 December 1883
Place of birth	Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Date of death	19 August 1963(1963-08-19) (aged 79)
School	Greenock Collegiate[1]
University	Glasgow University[1]
Occupation(s)	Sugar Refining
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	forward
Amateur clubs
Years	Club / team
	Greenock Wanderers RFC
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1909 1910	Scotland British Isles	1 0	(0) (0)

James Reid Kerr (4 December 1883 – 19 August 1963) was a Scottish sportsman who played both rugby union and cricket for his country. He was also part of the first official British and Irish Lions team that toured South Africa in 1910.

Early life

James Reid Kerr was born on 4 December 1883 in Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland. He was the son of Robert Kerr, a Sugar Refiner. After attending Greenock Collegiate^[1] and Glasgow University he worked for his father as a Sugar Chemist.

Rugby

Kerr played as a rugby forward for his local side, Greenock Wanderers RFC. He played one game for Scotland, vs England at Richmond on 20 March 1909^[2]

The following year, he was selected for the first official British tour to South Africa (in that it was sanctioned and selected by the four Home Nations official governing bodies).

Cricket

Kerr also played cricket for Greenock as a Right-hand bat. In 279 matches he scored 5,262 runs at an average of 23.08, and he had a top score of 119.^[3] He went on to play for Scotland, making only one appearance in 1921. That was against Ireland. In that match he scored 15 runs over two innings.^[4] He was also the cousin of the famous Scottish cricketer, John Kerr.^[5]

First World War

James Reid Kerr served as a captain the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders during the First World War. During the war he saw action in the Gallipoli campaign in 1915.

See also

• List of Scottish cricket and rugby union players

References