Scottish Rugby

Rugby, or games like it, first took hold in Edinburgh's schools such as Royal High School, Merchiston, and the Edinburgh Academy. Scotland played a central part in the codifying of the game of rugby, and the first international match, between Scotland and England, was held in 1971. Scotland won. Two years later, the "Scottish Football Union" (now Scottish Rugby) was founded, and the body was one of the founding members of the International Rugby Board.

The Scotland-England international match is called the Calcutta Cup, and like all cross-border sporting matches, is closely and passionately fought. When the winner of the Calcutta Cup will also be the winner of the Grand Slam, sparks will surely fly. One such match was played in 1990, and is recounted in detail by Tom English in his book The Grudge.

Rugby Players

However well - or poorly - Scotland's international rugby team performs, we have always nurtured some of the greatest players in the game. From early pioneers such as Walter Sutherland to modern heroes like Gavin Hastings, Scottish rugby is respected the world over. There are biographies of Kenny Logan, Gregor Townsend and Jim Renwick, and others now sadly out of print.

Even Scotland's rugby coaches are covered, with names such as Ian McGeechan and Jim Telfer.

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  Jim Telfer: Looking Back - For Once
  Jim Telfer - Hardback - Mainstream
  Jim Telfer is one of the greats of international rugby, with a career spanning more than five decades. This autobiography reveals how a shepherd's son from the Borders became the major driving force in the most successful days of Scottish rugby and steered the game into the professional era.
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  £6.79
  Just For Kicks: The Autobiography
  Kenny Logan - Paperback - Headline
  Scottish rugby star Kenny Logan has won 70 caps for his country, as well as collecting a host of honours with his club Wasps. In this book he shares the highs and lows of his life, from his struggles with dyslexia to his success on the TV show Strictly Come Dancing.
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  £16.14
  Lion Man: The Autobiography
  Ian McGeechan - Hardback - Simon & Schuster
  Published after the Lions' 2009 tour, 'Lion Man' offers an exclusive insight into Ian McGeechan, the man who has held the fortunes of British rugby in his hands.
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  £8.49
  My Autobiography
  Bill McLaren - Paperback - Bantam
  In his autobiography, Bill McLaren talks poignantly about his entire life, focusing on his 50 years as chief rugby commentator for the BBC.
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  £14.99
  Walter Sutherland: Scotland's Rugby Legend, 1890-1918
  Kenneth R. Bogle - Paperback - Tempus
  This is a biography of Walter Sutherland, a Scottish international rugby player between 1910 and 1914. He also represented his country in sprinting. Tragically, he was killed in the First World War.

Rugby Teams

Professional rugby in Scotland is lead by just two teams, Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors, who compete in the Celtic League. Other teams take part in the Scottish Hydro Electric Premiership, which is split into three divisions. The only book on a Scottish rugby team is The Accies, a history of the Edinburgh Academical Football Club, a Division One team and the oldest rugby club in Scotland.

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  The Accies: The History Of The Edinburgh Academical Football Club
  David Barnes - Hardback - Birlinn
  The Edinburgh Academical Football Club is the oldest rugby club in Britain and the second oldest in the world, with as rich and colourful a history as any sporting organisation on this planet. This title looks back on the rich history of Edinburgh Accies.
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  The Barbarians: The United Nations Of Rugby
  Alan Evans - Hardback - Mainstream
  For more than a century the Barbarians, a touring club without a permanent base, have travelled the world to play matches against the mighty & the minnows. This text provides an official history of the legendary touring club & includes personal reflections & anecdotes from several celebrated players from around the world.
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  A Game For Hooligans: The History Of Rugby Union
  Huw Richards - Paperback - Mainstream
  From Webb Ellis to Wilkinson, this is a history of international rugby by renowned rugby writer and historian Huw Richards. It covers all the great games, teams and players, but also explores the social, political and economic changes which have affected the course of rugby's development.
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  £12.99
  The Grudge: Inside Scotland Vs. England, 1990
  Tom English - Paperback - Yellow Jersey
  Murrayfield, the Calcutta Cup, March 1990. England vs. Scotland - winner-takes-all for the Five Nations Grand Slam, the biggest prize in northern hemisphere rugby. Will Carling's England are the very embodiment of Margaret Thatcher's Britain - snarling, brutish and all-conquering. Scotland are the underdogs.
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  Odd-Shaped Balls: Mischief-Makers, Miscreants And Mad-Hatters Of Rugby
  John Scally - Paperback - Mainstream
  'Odd-Shaped Balls' is a collection of stories evoking the fun, colour and wit of the world of rugby as represented by players and fans both great and small.
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  £8.49
  The Scotland Rugby Miscellany
  Richard Bath - Hardback - VSP
  'The Scotland Rugby Miscellany' is packed with stats, anecdotes, quotes, lists and general quirk from the rich history of Scottish rugby union - from the first ever rugby international against England in 1871 to the great Gavin Hastings and beyond.
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  The Winter Game: Rediscovering The Passion Of Rugby
  Todd Nicholls - Paperback - Mainstream
  Including interviews with past and present rugby giants, Todd Nicholls examines the state of the game in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, the European continent and in Britain and Ireland, providing a blistering appraisal of the issues facing rugby.