The History of Rugby League in Scotland

The first incidence of rugby league in Scotland was in 1909, when the RFL (then named the Northern Rugby Union) arranged a test match at Celtic Park, Glasgow, between England and the touring Australia, in an attempt to launch rugby league in Scotland. The game ended in a 17 all draw, and a further test involving the same nations was played at Tynecastle, Edinburgh, in 1911, this time the result being a 11 all draw.

Despite this effort rugby league failed to make a significant impact in Scotland due to the popularity of football and rugby union, and at this point the RFL abandoned any further plans for expansion into Scotland. Nonetheless, many Scottish players moved over the border to play for English rugby league clubs, with most of the players moving from the borders. At this point, a Scottish national team was never raised, but many Scots played for the Other Nationalities sides selected to play England, and also some for Great Britain. A Scotsman, Dave Valentine, actually captained Great Britain to World Cup victory in 1954.

The first instance of a rugby league club in Scotland was when a student team was started at Aberdeen University in 1989, and from there other clubs formed. Due to this rise in profile a Scottish national team first took the field in 1995, and by 1997 a domestic competition was formed for the newly formed clubs.

The newly formed national team played in the Emerging Nations cup in 1995, and the full World Cup in 2000. It also competed in the 2003 & 2005 Euro Nations Cup, and has qualified for the 2008 World Cup in Australia. Most of the squad is made up of second generation Scots, pro players born and bread in England, but Scotland also puts out an amateur side, Scotland A, drawn from the Scottish Conference. Since 2002 Scotland A has competed yearly in the Amateur Four Nations (now Home Nations Cup).

Results

Scotland

28/10/2012 Scotland 24-62 England Knights
14/10/2012 Scotland 18-30 Ireland
30/10/2011 Scotland 10-46 France
16/10/2011 Scotland 26-06 Ireland
24/10/2010 Scotland 42-22 Ireland
16/10/2010 Scotland 12-26 France
10/10/2010 Scotland 22-60 Wales
08/11/2009 Scotland 16-28 Wales
01/11/2009 Scotland 22-10 Lebanon
17/10/2009 Scotland 104-0 Italy
08/11/2008 Scotland 00-48 Tonga
05/11/2008 Scotland 18-16 Fiji
26/10/2008 Scotland 18-36 France
07/11/2007 Scotland 16-18 Wales
24/10/2007 Scotland 16-46 France
29/10/2006 Scotland 21-14 Wales
23/10/2005 Scotland 06-12 Ireland
16/10/2005 Scotland 14-22 Wales
29/10/2004 Scotland 10-43 Ireland
24/10/2004 Scotland 30-22 Wales
09/11/2003 Scotland 08-06 France
26/10/2003 Scotland 22-24 Ireland
03/07/2001 Scotland 42-20 France
05/11/2000 Scotland 12-20 Samoa
01/11/2000 Scotland 06-18 Ireland
29/10/2000 Scotland 16-17 New Zealand Maori
31/10/1999 Scotland 10-31 Ireland
22/10/1999 Scotland 36-16 Wales
18/11/1998 Scotland 10-17 Ireland
18/11/1998 Scotland 22-26 France
09/07/1997 Scotland 20-22 France
06/08/1996 Scotland 26-06 Ireland

Scotland A

04/08/2012 Scotland A 36-16 Wales A
21/07/2012 Scotland A 14-48 England A
13/08/2011 Scotland A 26-18 Ireland A
16/07/2011 Scotland A 22-34 Wales A
25/06/2011 Scotland A 22-30 England A
14/08/2010 Soctland A 35-22 Wales A
10/07/2010 Scotland A 10-06 Ireland A
12/06/2010 Scotland A 34-32 England A
30/04/2010 Scotland A 20-27 France A
08/08/2009 Scotland A 40-24 England A
11/07/2009 Scotland A 12-32 Wales A
13/06/2009 Scotland A 22-30 Ireland A
01/05/2009 Scotland A 16-16 France Federale
16/08/2008 Scotland A 26-24 England A
26/07/2008 Scotland A 28-26 Ireland A
21/06/2008 Scotland A 20-62 Wales A
27/10/2007 Scotland A 12-36 France A
04/08/2007 Scotland A 18-28 Ireland A
15/07/2007 Scotland A 40-42 England A
16/06/2007 Scotland A 30-44 Wales A
13/08/2006 Scotland A 14-46 England A
16/07/2006 Scotland A 16-22 Wales A
17/06/2006 Scotland A 16-31 France A
03/06/2006 Scotland A 30-38 Ireland A
14/08/2005 Scotland A 42-16 Ireland A
24/07/2005 Scotland A 17-16 England A
12/06/2005 Scotland A 08-70 Wales A
22/08/2004 Scotland A 24-16 Ireland A
03/07/2004 Scotland A 26-34 Wales A
13/06/2004 Scotland A 26-28 England A
09/08/2003 Scotland A 48-20 Ireland A
27/07/2003 Scotland A 22-42 Wales A
13/07/2003 Scotland A 42-22 Serbia
11/07/2003 Scotland A 30-10 Italy
09/07/2003 Scotland A 22-18 Netherlands
21/06/2003 Scotland A 20-28 England A
18/08/2002 Scotland A 10-70 Ireland A
20/07/2002 Scotland A 08-58 England A
15/06/2002 Scotland A 22-40 Wales A
16/09/2001 Scotland A 06-36 Wales A
11/09/2001 Scotland A 10-28 Ireland A
19/09/1999 Scotland A 20-20 Wales A
03/10/1998 Scotland A 28-18 Wales A
30/05/1998 Scotland A 16-21 Ireland A
25/10/1997 Scotland A 18-25 Ireland A

Scottish Great Britain Internationals

Roy Kinnear
Alan Tait
Andrew Hogg
David Rose
Dave Valentine
George Wilson
George Fairbairn
Hugh Waddell
Billy McGinty
Dale Laughton
Rob Valentine
Drew Turnball
Charlie Renilson
Lee Gilmour
Richard Horne

Carluke Tigers RLFC