Robert Simpson (rugby union)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Birth name | Robert S. Simpson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of birth | Scotland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Robert Simpson was a Scotland international rugby union player.
Amateur career
Simpson played for Glasgow Academicals from 1919. He captained Glasgow Academicals from the 1920-21 season till the end of the 1922-23 season.
The Glasgow Academical Club Centenary Volume states this of Simpson:[1]
1920-21 was the first of three consecutive seasons in which the side was captained by Bobby Simpson. He was an extraordinarily gifted athlete who could play almost anywhere on the field, and there is no doubt that the club owes much to his great leadership over this period.
Glasgow Academicals won the 1921-22 season Scottish Unofficial Championship under Simpson's captaincy.
He played for Manchester RFC, from the season start in 1923 to December of that year, in preparation of moving to Burma.[2] While in Manchester he suffered a concussion playing in their match against Liverpool University and was taken to hospital.[3]
He moved to Burma for work, but in 1927 returned. The Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) of Monday 19 December 1927 recorded:[4]
R. S. Simpson, who some years ago was a valuable member of the Glasgow Academicals Rugby side before going to Burma, has now returned home. He is going to reside in the south-west of England and will in all likelihood turn out for the Bristol club.
After moving to the south west of England from Burma, he joined Bristol RFC.[5][6] He returned to Scotland for around a month, around mid February to mid March in 1928, and during that time he again played for Glasgow Academicals.[7] He then returned to Bristol to finish the season with the club.[8]
Provincial career
He captained Glasgow District in the 1921 inter-city match.[9] No fewer than 10 Glasgow Academical players were in the side.
He played for Scotland Possibles in the first trial match of the 1922-23 season.[10]
International career
His first match for Scotland came in the 24 February 1923 international match against Ireland.[11]
The Dundee Evening Telegraph of Friday 23 February 1923 stated:[12]
In promoting R. S. Simpson, of Glasgow Academicals, to international rank, the Scottish Union selectors have earned popularity with, a large section of the Rugby public.