William Cross (rugby union)

William Cross
Full name William Cross
Date of birth circa 1851[1]
Place of birth Bridgend, Wales
Date of death 16 October 1890[1]
Place of death Bournemouth, England[1]
Notable relative(s) Malcolm Cross, brother
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position Halfback
Amateur clubs
Years Club / team
Merchistonians
Glasgow Academicals
Provincial/State sides
Years Club / team Caps (points)
Glasgow District
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)
1871-1872 Scotland 2 Goals:1;
Tries:1;
Conv:1

William Cross (circa 1851 - 16 October 1890)[1] was a Scottish rugby internationalist. He is notable for scoring the first conversion in international rugby in 1871 in the match between Scotland and England, after Angus Buchanan scored a pushover try, and he also Scotland's second ever try later in the match.

Rugby career

Cross represented Scotland in 1871 in the first international match. Of the Scottish score, one of the English players wrote:

"after a maul, just outside the English goal-line the umpires ordered the ball to be put down in the scrummage five yards outside the line. It was taken was out accordingly, but, instead of putting it down, the Scottish forwards drove the entire scrummage into goal, and then grounded the ball and claimed a try. This, though illegal according to English laws, was allowed by the umpires and the goal was kicked by Cross."[2]

At the time, conversions and goals, not tries produced a score, so in fact Cross, not Buchanan was the first to put points on the board.[3] In fact, this was the only score in the match.[4]

Cross rounded off the game with a second try, ninety seconds before the final whistle, when with their forwards running riot, J.W. Arthur knocked on from a line-out and the ball looped over the English defenders, with the quick thinking Cross picking it up for Scotland's second try.[3]

Cross played for Glasgow Academicals, and Merchistonians before that, and was one of the first international half-backs, along with J.W. Arthur and their English counterparts.[3][5] He played one more international in 1872.[6] His brother Malcolm Cross gained nine caps.[6]

After his international playing career was over, Cross took up a role within the Scottish Rugby Union, and by 1877 became Scotland's second international rugby referee when he officiated an early encounter between Scotland and England. This was his only international game as a referee, but he continued promoting Scottish rugby, becoming President of the Scottish Rugby Union for the 1882-83 season.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 William Cross international rugby profile Scrum.com
  2. ↑ Massie, p6
  3. 1 2 3 Bath, pp 4,5
  4. ↑ Bath, p37
  5. ↑ Massie, p5
  6. 1 2 Bath, p136
  7. ↑ Thorburn, A.M.C. (1985). The Scottish Rugby Union, Official History. Scottish Rugby Union and Collins Publishers. p. 100. ISBN 0-00-435697-7.
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