John MacGill
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Birth name | John MacGill | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | c. 1883 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Grangemouth, Scotland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 20 November 1941 (aged 57–58) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Edinburgh, Scotland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 54th President of the Scottish Rugby Union | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 1933–1934 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Crawford Findlay | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Mark Coxon Morrison | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John MacGill was a Scottish rugby union player.[1] He became a referee and later was the 54th President of the Scottish Rugby Union. His regular playing position was Full back.
Amateur career
MacGill played for Glasgow Academicals,[2][3] he usually played at full back; but in the early days of his career he started as a forward.[4]
MacGill played in Glasgow Academicals own Sevens competition in 1908.[5]
MacGill played matches for his army battalion. One such match was the 2/9th Highland Light Infantry (Glasgow Highlanders) versus 15th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders played on 22 January 1916 at Old Anniesland.[6]
Provincial career
MacGill played for Glasgow District against Edinburgh District in the 1907 inter-city match. The Herald newspaper reports that the Edinburgh back T. Sturrock, the brother of John Sturrock, had a bad game but this was due to the brilliance of MacGill.[7]
MacGill's best chance of pressing for international selection was the Cities District versus Provinces District match in January 1908. Macgill started as Full Back for Cities.[8]
MacGill's opposite number in the Provinces side Douglas Schulze had a better game and outshone Macgill, although both players played well. One black mark against Macgill was his defending against Alex Purves; on one occasion Purves seemed to slip through his fingers on his way to scoring a try. Schulze and Purves received the Scotland call-ups, not Macgill.[9]
Referee career
MacGill refereed in the Scottish Unofficial Championship.[10][11]
MacGill refereed in the Border League.[12]
MacGill refereed the Blues Trial versus Whites Trial match in 1928.[13]
Administrative career
MacGill was Honorary Secretary of Glasgow Academicals in 1914–15.[14]
MacGill was vice-president of the SRU in 1932.[15] He opened the stand at Jock's Lodge, the home of Royal HSFP that year.[16]
MacGill was elected President of the SRU in 1933.[17]
MacGill was included in the Scotland travelling party to Ireland for their Five Nations Championship match in 1939.[18]