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Edinburgh Wanderers is a former rugby union club, founded in 1868. It was latterly a tenant of the Scottish Rugby Union, playing home fixtures at Murrayfield Stadium for nearly 75 years. In 1997 it merged with Murrayfield RFC to form Murrayfield Wanderers.^[1]

Formation

The rugby club was formed in 1868.^[2] The club was initially known as St. Andrew's Wanderers, as it was formed by St. Andrew's University graduates based in Edinburgh.^[3]

Early history

The club quickly became known as Edinburgh Wanderers - and the side established itself as one of the best in Scotland. In the world's first provincial match - between Glasgow District and Edinburgh District - in 1872, the side was already known as Edinburgh Wanderers and provided 3 players to the first Edinburgh District side:- A. Ross; J. Forsyth and A. R. Stewart ^[4]

The club would have been the ninth founding club of the Scottish Rugby Union had the club secretary made it to the inauguration meeting of the union in 1872.^[2]

Instead it initially joined the (English) Rugby Football Union in that same year.^[2] However a year later as the Scottish Rugby Union grew, the Wanderers resigned from the RFU to join the SRU.^[2]

The Wanderers team of 1876-77 is noted as one of the best in its history.^[5]

In 1937 Wanderers provided both captains, Ross Logan and Idwal Rees, in the Scotland v Wales fixture that year. This was the first time in the history of rugby that opposing international captains were, at the same time, teammates at club level, and has only been replicated since the advent of professionalism.

Renaming and admission of MRFC members

At a Special General Meeting in 1997 Wanderers changed their name for a second time to become Murrayfield Wanderers FC. This was to facilitate the merger of the Murrayfield RFC. The Club then invited the members of Murrayfield RFC to join the renamed organisation. This proposal was accepted at an SGM of MRFC shortly thereafter.

For the subsequent history of Murrayfield Wanderers see:

Honours

• Scottish Division 2 winners: 1990.
• Scottish Division 3 winners: 1984.
• Hawick Sevens
  • Champions (1): 1946 (jointly fielded team with Edinburgh Academicals)
• Melrose Sevens
  • Champions (1): 1973
• Peebles Sevens
  • Champions (1): 1947 (jointly fielded team with Edinburgh Academicals)
• Edinburgh Charity Sevens
  • Champions (5 outright): 1942 & 1945 (both years a jointly fielded team with Edinburgh Academicals), 1953, 1966, 1967, 1973, 1974
• Royal HSFP Sevens
  • Champions (2): 1971, 1988
• Portobello Sevens
  • Champions (1): 1982
• Moray Sevens
  • Champions (1): 1968
• Kirkcaldy Sevens
  • Champions (1): 1970
• Howe of Fife Sevens
  • Champions (4): 1970, 1973, 1988, 1989
• Stirling Sevens
  • Champions (1): 1984
• Greenock Sevens
  • Champions (6): 1960, 1961, 1962, 1973, 1978, 1986
• Ardrossan Sevens^[6]
  • Champions (1): 1965
• Edinburgh Northern Sevens^[6]
  • Champions (1): 1990, 1992, 1997

Notable former players

British and Irish Lions

The following former Edinburgh Wanderers players have represented the British and Irish Lions.

Scotland internationalists

The following former Edinburgh Wanderers players have represented Scotland at full international level.

Notable non-Scottish players

The following is a list of notable non-Scottish international representative former Edinburgh Wanderers players:

Edinburgh District players

The following former Edinburgh Wanderers players have represented Edinburgh District at provincial level.

Professional players

Professionalism began in rugby union in 1995 - and in Scotland it came a year later in 1996. These players went on from the Wanderers to professional teams:

• Murray Craig

Notable also outside of rugby

The following is a list of notable former Edinburgh Wanderers players who have achieved notability in fields outwith rugby:

• Roy Williamson - Songwriter and folk musician of The Corries

References