Alfred Clunies-Ross
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circa 1851[1]
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| Born | Alfred Clunies-Ross circa 1851[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Died | 28 February 1903 (aged 51–52) [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Madras College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | St Andrew's University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | George Clunies-Ross, King of the Cocos Islands | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Alfred Clunies-Ross (c.1851 – 28 February 1903) was a rugby union international who represented Scotland in the first international rugby match in 1871.[1]
Clunies-Ross, a Cocos Malay from a Scots family, was the first non-white rugby union international player.[2]
Alfred was born around 1851 in the Cocos Islands. Of mixed Indo origin, the son of John George Clunies-Ross and S'pia Dupong from Surakarta,[3] his father was second ruler-proprietor of the Cocos Islands, referred to by the press as the King of those islands. His elder brother George became the third ruler-proprietor of the islands. The Clunies-Ross family had originated in the Shetland Islands and both Alfred and his brothers had been sent to Scotland for education. Alfred attended Madras College. There he excelled at sport. In a report found in the "St Andrews Gazette" of a cricket match played between St Andrews University and Madras College in March 1864 (in which Madras were victorious by 21 runs), the following is written about Alfred: "the very clever hitting and fielding of Affie Ross, a lively and smart little fellow, to all appearances not yet reached his teens". Another reference is made of his playing a football fixture on 9 January 1869 at the Baxter Park, Dundee against Aberdeen University. His brother Alex was also in the team, and Alfred is referred to at this point as Alf Ross. He went on to study medicine in Edinburgh.[4]
Rugby union career
Alfred played for the University of St Andrews and such was his prowess he was selected to play in the first international rugby match in 1871 between Scotland and England. This was played on 27 March 1871 at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh and won by Scotland. After he moved to London, he was at St George's Hospital until 1873 and subsequently played for the London Wasps from 1874 to 1880.[4][5]