Angus Buchanan (rugby union)

Scotland international rugby union player & cricketer

Rugby player

Angus Buchanan

Birth name

Angus Buchanan

Date of birth

(1847-01-15)15 January 1847

Place of birth

Inveraray, Scotland

Date of death

21 February 1927(1927-02-21) (aged 80)

Place of death

Inveraray, Scotland

Rugby union career

Amateur team(s)
Position(s)	Forward
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
	Royal HSFP		()
–	Edinburgh University		()
Provincial / State sides
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
	Edinburgh District		()
International career
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
1871	Scotland	1
Refereeing career
Years	Competition		Apps
	Scottish Districts

7th President of the Scottish Rugby Union

In office
1879–1880

Preceded by

George Raphael Fleming

Succeeded by

David Watson

Angus Buchanan (15 January 1847 – 21 February 1927) was a Scottish international rugby and cricket player. One of the earliest Scottish players, he was capped for Scotland in 1871.

Rugby Union career

Amateur career

He also played simultaneously for Royal High School FP, and Edinburgh University.

Provincial career

Buchanan played for Edinburgh District.

International career

Buchanan played in the first ever Scotland side, and scored the first try in international rugby, after a deemed failed attempt by George Ritchie. Scotland had pushed a scrum over the English try-line, and Buchanan had fallen on the ball.

This was converted by William Cross, which created the score (crucially because it was goals that counted, not tries). The English argued that the try should not stand, but it was awarded by the umpire Dr Hely Hutchinson Almond (also a Scot - the umpires were two on the field: one from each side)

Almond made a questionable justification of his decision:

"Let me make a confession: I do not know whether the decision which gave Scotland the try from which the winning goal was kicked was correct in fact. When an umpire is in doubt, I think he is justified in deciding against the side which makes the most noise. They are probably in the wrong."

According to one of the English players:

"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."

According to confirmed records, Buchanan was the first Scotland player born, in January, 1847, and was twenty four years and two months old when capped.

Referee career

Buchanan became an international referee. He refereed the Scotland versus Ireland match on 14 February 1880.

Cricket career

Buchanan also played for the Scotland national cricket team.

In media

In fiction, Buchanan is a part of the larger Harry Potter universe, appearing in an excerpt written by J.K. Rowling for the Pottermore website. According to this, Angus Buchanan was born in a wizarding family, but was non-magical (i.e. a Squib). Also, he is supposed to have published a "path breaking" book called My Life as a Squib, which highlighted his struggles to survive in a community which disowned him and the way he found a home in the Muggle world.

References

Angus Buchanan rugby profile Scrum.com
^ Bath, p 104
^ Massie, p5
This was before the split between rugby union and rugby league
^ Bath, pp 4, 5
^ Bath, p 37
Massie, p 6
Bath, p 66
"Scotland v Ireland". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
Flood, Angus (24 February 2014). "New JK Rowling story tells of wizards' support for Scottish rugby". The Guardian.
Rowling, J.K. (2014)."J.K. Rowling on Scottish Rugby". Pottermore.

Sources

Bath, Richard (ed.) The Scotland Rugby Miscellany (Vision Sports Publishing Ltd, 2007 ISBN 1-905326-24-6)
Massie, Allan A Portrait of Scottish Rugby (Edinburgh: Polygon, 1987 ISBN 0-904919-84-6)

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