Gordon Mitchell (rugby union)

Gordon Mitchell (26 May 1865 – 30 July 1896) was a Scotland international rugby union player.[1][2]

Gordon Mitchell
Birth nameJames Gordon Mitchell
Date of birth(1865-05-26)26 May 1865
Place of birthHamilton, Scotland
Date of death30 July 1896(1896-07-30) (aged 31)
Place of deathInhambane, Mozambique
SchoolCraigmount School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Forward
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
West of Scotland ()
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1883-85 Glasgow District ()
1885-87 West of Scotland District ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1885 Scotland 3 (0)
18th President of the Scottish Rugby Union
In office
1890–1891
Preceded byAndrew Ramsay Don-Wauchope
Succeeded byThomas Ainslie

Rugby union career

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Amateur career

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Mitchell played for West of Scotland. He went on to captain the club. His time there was noted by the Dundee Evening Telegraph as 'one of the most brilliant in the history of the club'.[3]

Provincial career

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Mitchell played for Glasgow District in the inter-city matches of 1883[4] and 1884[5] and 1885.[6]

He was also capped for West of Scotland District in their match against East of Scotland District in January 1885[7] and 1886.[8]

He captained the West side in January 1887.[9]

International career

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He was capped three times for Scotland in 1885.[10]

The Dundee Evening Telegraph noted that 'Mitchell was a typical Scottish forward in as much as his play was a combination of physical prowess and brain power'.[3]

Administrative career

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Mitchell became the 18th President of the Scottish Rugby Union. He served the 1890–91 term in office.[11]

Death

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Mitchell died on his way back from to Scotland from Inhambane, Mozambique.[3] His obituary notes that he was an all-round sportsman with a talent, not only for rugby union, but for both cricket and running. However it goes on to say that he was not interested in either: he did not practise cricket and rarely 'donned his spikes' to run.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "James Gordon Mitchell". En.espn.co.uk. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Ancestry". Ancestry.co.uk. Retrieved 1 June 2022. (registration required)
  3. ^ a b c d "Register". Retrieved 17 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search". News.google.com. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  5. ^ "The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search". News.google.com. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  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. ^ "Register". Retrieved 17 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "Rugby Union - ESPN Scrum - Statsguru - Player analysis - Gordon Mitchell - Test matches". Espnscrum.com. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  11. ^ "Scottish Rugby Record 2018/19" (PDF). Scottish Rugby. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 November 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2020.