John Macphail Scholarship
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Sport | Rugby Union |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Aspiring players and coaches |
| Sponsored by | The Robertson Trust and Scottish Rugby Union |
| Country | Scotland |
| History | |
| First award | 2005 |
| First winner | John Barclay |
The John Macphail Scholarship is an annual rugby union scholarship award in Scotland. It was first given to talented young players; and was later the scholarship also extended to coaches seeking development. The scholarship is named after the former Scotland international rugby union player John Macphail, who died in 2004. The scholarship is a 5 month immersive rugby union programme abroad. Previously award winners have gone to New Zealand, recent award winners now go to South Africa for the programme.[1]
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the scholarship was not awarded in 2020 or 2021.
John Macphail was a Scottish rugby union player who played for Edinburgh Academicals, Edinburgh District and the Scotland international side. He was capped twice in the period 1949 to 1951.
He became Chairman of the Edrington Group in Drumchapel, Glasgow; and was awarded a CBE. The Edrington Group is a private company, known for its whiskies like The Famous Grouse, Cutty Sark and The Macallan,[2] and is owned by the Robertson Trust.
The scholarship was awarded in his memory.