John Dods (rugby union)
Scotland international rugby union player
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John Henry Dods (30 September 1875 – 30 December 1915) was a Scottish rugby union player.[1] He was capped eight times for Scotland between 1895 and 1897.[1] He also played for Edinburgh Academicals.[1] He was the brother of Francis Dods who was also capped for Scotland.[1]
30 September 1875
| Born | John Henry Dods 30 September 1875 Glasgow, Scotland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Died | 30 December 1915 (aged 40) HMS Natal, Moray Firth, off Scotland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dods was killed along with his wife and three children, whilst on board HMS Natal, which suffered a series of explosions, killing hundreds of people.
Rugby career
Following the trials match on 28 December 1894, Dods was again selected for Scotland, to play against Wales on 25 January 1895.[2]
International appearances
| Opposition | Score | Result | Date | Venue | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Wales | 5–4 | Won | 26 January 1895 | Edinburgh | [3] |
 Ireland | 6–0 | Won | 2 March 1895 | Raeburn Place, Edinburgh | [4] |
 England | 3–6 | Won | 9 March 1895 | Richmond | [5] |
| Wales | 6–0 | Lost | 25 January 1896 | Cardiff | [6] |
| Ireland | 0–0 | Draw | 15 February 1896 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | [7] |
| England | 11–0 | Won | 14 March 1896 | Glasgow | [8] |
| Ireland | 8–3 | Won | 20 February 1897 | Powderhall, Edinburgh | [9] |
| England | 12–3 | Lost | 13 March 1897 | Manchester | [10] |
Death
On 30 December 1915, Dods, his wife and three children were aboard HMS Natal, guests of the ship's captain Eric Back. The ship, a Warrior Class cruiser, part of the Second Cruiser Squadron, was lying at anchor in the Cromarty Firth, in the north of Scotland. A series of explosions on board caused the ship to capsize with the loss of hundreds of lives, including those of Dods and his family.[11][12]
