Arthur Laing (rugby union)

Arthur Laing (25 April 1892 – 24 November 1927) was a Scotland international rugby union player.[1]

Arthur Laing
Birth nameArthur Douglas Laing
Date of birth(1892-04-25)25 April 1892
Date of death24 November 1927(1927-11-24) (aged 35)
Place of deathEdinburgh, Scotland
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
1909- Royal HSFP ()
1919 Army Rugby Union ()
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1921
1913
Edinburgh District
Blues Trial
Provinces District
Cities District
Scotland Probables
()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1914-21 Scotland 7 (4)

Rugby Union career edit

Amateur career edit

He went to the Royal High School of Edinburgh. He played rugby union and cricket for the school.

He played for Royal HSFP, and captained the side for a time; he played for the side before and after the Great War.

He played for the Army Rugby Union and competed in the Inter-Services tournament of 1919.[2][3]

Provincial career edit

He played for Provinces District in their match against Anglo-Scots on 25 December 1913.[4]

He played for Blues Trial against Whites Trial in their December 1913 match.[5]

He played for Edinburgh District against Glasgow District in the 1920 inter-city match.[6]

He played for Cities District on 11 December 1920.

He played for Scotland Probables on 10 January 1920 and on 8 January 1921 against Scotland Possibles.[7][8]

International career edit

He played for Scotland 7 times in the period 1914 - 1921.[9]

Military career edit

He joined the 4th Royal Scots Guards (Lothian Regiment), firstly as a private, but was then commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on 1915; and was acting captain for a time.[citation needed]

He moved to the South Staffordshire Regiment. He saw service in France; and was wounded in battle at Lens. He was mentioned in despatches.[citation needed]

Business career edit

Arthur became a brewer, along with his brother Herbert.

Family edit

His father Hector Laing (1862-1927) was a fish merchant. His mother was Agnes Yule.[citation needed]

They had 3 sons: Hector Stanley Laing (1890-1955), Herbert Laing, and Arthur.[citation needed]

Arthur Laing married Mary Cameron Stark (1891-1970) on 28 May 1918 at the Court House in Edinburgh.[citation needed]

Death edit

After his playing career ended he became a fan of the Royal HSFP side. A week before he died he watched his side play Kelvinside Academicals. The Scotsman newspaper of 26 November 1927 concluding: "It was there he probably got the chill that developed early in the week into pneumonia."[10]

He died in a nursing home in Edinburgh.[11]

References edit

  1. ^ "Arthur Douglas Laing". ESPN scrum.
  2. ^ "Register". Retrieved 17 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "Register". Retrieved 17 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "Register". Retrieved 17 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Register". Retrieved 17 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "Register". Retrieved 17 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Register". Retrieved 17 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "Register". Retrieved 17 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "Rugby Union - ESPN Scrum - Statsguru - Player analysis - Podger Laing - Test matches". ESPN scrum.
  10. ^ "Register". Retrieved 17 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ "Register". Retrieved 17 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.