Dalkeith RFC

Dalkeith RFC is a Scottish rugby union club based in Dalkeith, Midlothian. They are founding and continuing full members of the Scottish Rugby Union and play home games at Kings Park, Dalkeith. The club played in East Regional League Division Two for season 2016-2017.

Dalkeith RFC
Club information
Full nameDalkeith Rugby Football Club
ColoursGreen,red and white shirts
Founded1898
Current details
Ground(s)
CaptainScott Rae (2019-20)
CompetitionEast Regional League Division Three

History

The club was formed in 1898, with the first match being against Edinburgh Institution 2nd XV (now Stewart's Melville) on 14 October of that year. Dalkeith won 60–0 with six tries being scored. Although there are no details of the team that played that day, a team photograph from 1899 hangs in the clubhouse, recording the names of those who pioneered the game in the area at that time.

The club's first president was J.C. Paterson and the captain was J. Warden, a farmer at Wester Cowden. During the first year, the club also played against Morningside, Brunstone, Heriots 2nd XV and Watsonians 3rd XV. Clubs played in 1899 included Heriots, Royal High School, Edinburgh University, Peebles and Corstorphine, with J. Duncan captaining the side that season. The first annual supper was held in the Cross Keys Hotel on 9 March 1990 where a presentation of a pipe was made to the club referee, George Goldie of Eskdale Lodge.

The club ceased playing in 1915, due to the First World War; the captain that year was R.Stewart and the president was Sir Henry Dundas. The club did not reform until February 1934 when a meeting of interested players met at the Scientific Hall and elected president George Dick. Club colours of red, white and green were adopted and the first match against local rivals Lasswade was played on 29 September at Kirkbank. The club played a further three seasons until amalgamations were first mooted, Musselburgh RFC called a meeting to discuss with the other clubs in Midlothian the possibility of amalgamating under the Musselburgh name. As this was found to be unacceptable to most of those present the proposal did no proceed, however at a meeting held in October the members of Dalkeith and Lasswade decided to join forces and due to their greater number of members it was decided to play under the Lasswade name.

The Second World then intervened and this had a direct result on the reformation of Dalkeith RFC as a separate entity. In March 1946, the club was reformed under George Dick as President and Captain Jim Penman. The first match was played on 19 September against Rosyth. Mr S.B. Syme from Newtongrange gifted a set of navy blue jerseys to the club. At a meeting in the band hall in Newtongrange the former colours of red, white and green were reaffirmed as the club colours. From 1946 to 1956 matches were still played at Kirkbank with a byre used as a changing room and a cold water tap and two tubs as washing facilities. During this time, accountant Pat Shaw became president. The lease of an old guardhouse at the King's Line Barracks, Newbattle, was negotiated, which was converted into clubrooms.

Notable players during this year were Adam Robson (1949) who went on to play for Hawick and gain 22 caps for Scotland before coming president of the Scottish Rugby Union and Brian Henderson who played for Edinburgh Wanderers and gained 12 Scottish Caps. The Diamond jubilee of the club was celebrated on 27 March 1958 in the Unicorn Inn. In the spring of 1959 the club moved to King's Park with the tennis pavilion being used as the changing rooms. A celebration match was played in April 1959.

1963 saw the inception of the Dalkeith Shield, a 15-a-side knockout tournament for clubs in the Lothians. The tournament runs to this day and is the longest running 15-a-side tournament in Scotland. Clubs who completed in the early years of competition include Haddington, Currie and Preston Lodge. By the late 1960s the club planned to improving the dilapidated clubhouse and changing facilities. Bill Dunnett, who was president from 1966 to 69, was instrumental in the development of the new clubhouse, opened on 6 September 1972. A match to herald the opening was held between Dalkeith and a Scottish International Side which included Sandy Carmichael, Ian McLauchlan, Jim Telfer, Jim Renwick, Andy Irvine, Dougie Morgan, Arthur Brown, Colin Telfer, Nairn McEwan and former Dalkeith member Jock Bertinussin.

Notable Dalkeith players of the era were Bill Ingram who played for Melrose and the South District team, and Tom Jack who played for Gala. Businessman David Murray played for the club until he lost both legs in a car accident when driving home from a match.[1] During the 1970s National Leagues were introduced and Dalkeith entered the 7th Division in season 1976–77. The clubs were runners-up in that year and gained promotion to Division 6 alongside Stirling County. The following year the club became champions, having beaten Stirling in front of one of the largest crowds ever seen in King's Park. Subsequent progress was only made to Division 5, and since then, the lower reaches of Division 6 & 7. Dalkeith did finally manage to win their own Shield tournament in 1976, and again in 2001 and 2004.

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gollark: ```I was in a snow storm. It's annoying.— Limul ùshrirtarem, Woodworker```
gollark: * Clunky syntax* Compiler magic instead of a sane type system* Horrific let's-pull-from-master-always-yay package management* if err != nil everywhere
gollark: You should stop using go.
gollark: RL networking or CC?

References
  1. "Why Murray went back to his rugby roots". The Scotsman (4 September 2007). Edinburgh. Retrieved 5 November 2017.

Official website

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