Walter Sutherland (rugby)

Walter Riddell Sutherland (19 October 1890 – 4 October 1918), also known as Wattie Suddie,[1] from Hawick was a Scottish rugby union footballer who gained 13 caps playing for the Scotland national rugby union team between 1910 and 1914 and was regarded as the best Scottish wing threequarter of his day.[2] He played for Hawick RFC.[3][4]

Sutherland was the son of Alexander and Isabella Sutherland of the Imperial Hotel in Hawick, Roxburghshire. He was educated at Teviot Grove Academy before training to be a sanitary inspector in Hawick. He also played cricket and football and was a champion runner, winning the Scottish Borders title at multiple distances.[3]

The outbreak of the First World War put end to his rugby career, and he served with the Lothians and Border Horse, later the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and finally the Seaforth Highlanders. Second Lieutenant Sutherland was killed in France on 4 October 1918, aged 27, just five weeks before the armistice.[3] He is buried at the Houchin British Cemetery in Pas-de-Calais.[5]

References
  1. McLaren, Bill Talking of Rugby (1991, Stanley Paul, London ISBN 0-09-173875-X), p19
  2. Bogle, Kenneth, Walter Sutherland Scotland's Rugby Legend 1890–1918 (ISBN 0-7524-3613-9)
  3. McCrery, Nigel (2014). Into Touch: Rugby Internationals Killed in the Great War. Pen and Sword. pp. 202–203. ISBN 9781781590874. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  4. Bath, Richard (ed.) The Scotland Rugby Miscellany (Vision Sports Publishing Ltd, 2007 ISBN 1-905326-24-6)
  5. "Casualty Details: Sutherland, Walter Riddell". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
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