John MacGill

John MacGill was a Scottish rugby union player.[1] He became a referee and later was the 54th President of the Scottish Rugby Union.

John MacGill

Birth name	John MacGill
Date of birth	c. 1883
Place of birth	Grangemouth, Scotland
Date of death	20 November 1941
Place of death	Edinburgh, Scotland
Rugby union career
Position(s) Full Back Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) - 1916 Glasgow Academicals Glasgow Highlanders (H.L.I.) () Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 1907 1908 Glasgow District Cities District () Refereeing career Years Competition Apps 1922-30 1926 1928 Scottish Unofficial Championship Border League Scottish Districts
54th President of the Scottish Rugby Union
In office 1933–1934
Preceded by	Crawford Findlay
Succeeded by	Mark Coxon Morrison

Rugby Union career

Amateur career

He played for Glasgow Academicals,[2][3] he usually played at full back; but in the early days of his career he started as a forward.[4]

He played in Glasgow Academicals own Sevens competition in 1908.[5]

He played matches for his army battalion. One such match was the 2/9th Highland Light Infantry (Glasgow Highlanders) versus 15th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders played on 22 January 1916 at Old Anniesland.[6]

Provincial career

He played for Glasgow District against Edinburgh District in the 1907 inter-city match. The Herald newspaper reports that the Edinburgh back T. Sturrock, the brother of John Sturrock, had a bad game but this was due to the brilliance of MacGill.[7]

His best chance of pressing for international selection was the Cities District versus Provinces District match in January 1908. Macgill started as Full Back for Cities.[8]

His opposite number in the Provinces side Douglas Schulze had a better game and outshone Macgill, although both players played well. One black mark against Macgill was his defending against Alex Purves; on one occasion Purves seemed to slip through his fingers on his way to scoring a try. Schulze and Purves received the Scotland call-ups, not Macgill.[9]

Referee career

He refereed in the Scottish Unofficial Championship.[10][11]

He refereed in the Border League.[12]

He refereed the Blues Trial versus Whites Trial match in 1928.[13]

Administrative career

He was Honorary Secretary of Glasgow Academicals in 1914–15.[14]

He was Vice-President of the SRU in 1932.[15] He opened the stand at Jock's Lodge, the home of Royal HSFP that year.[16]

He was elected President of the SRU in 1933.[17]

He was included in the Scotland travelling party to Ireland for their Five Nations Championship match in 1939.[18]

Outside of rugby

He served in the army in the First World War as a captain of the Highland Light Infantry.[19]

MacGill began a career in shipping; first with James Rankine and Son in Glasgow. That company joined with George Gibson & Co. Ltd, a Leith shipping firm, and he became a director of George Gibson & Co. on the merger.[20]

He succeeded R. A. Somerville as a member of the Leith Dock Commission. He represented the Chamber of Shipping as an advisory board member for new works of the Northern Lighthouse Commissioners. He was also on the Forth Conservancy Board representing shipowners.[19]

Death

He died in an Edinburgh nursing home on 20 November 1941.[20]

His estate was worth £48,663.[21]

References

1. "Tributes to top golfer Jean - Milngavie Herald". webcache.googleusercontent.com.
2. "Register | British Newspaper Archive". www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.
3. "Register | British Newspaper Archive". www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.
4. "Register | British Newspaper Archive". www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.
5. "Register | British Newspaper Archive". www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.
6. "Register | British Newspaper Archive". www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.
7. "The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
8. "Register | British Newspaper Archive". www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.
9. "Register | British Newspaper Archive". www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.
10. "Register | British Newspaper Archive". www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.
11. "Register | British Newspaper Archive".
12. "Register | British Newspaper Archive".
13. "Register | British Newspaper Archive". www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.
14. Cooper, Stephen; Leonard, Jason (August 3, 2015). After the Final Whistle: The First Rugby World Cup and the First World War. History Press. ISBN 9780750965668 – via Google Books.
15. "Register | British Newspaper Archive". www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.
16. "Register | British Newspaper Archive". www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.
17. "Register | British Newspaper Archive". www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.
18. "Register | British Newspaper Archive". www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.
19. "Register | British Newspaper Archive". www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.
20. "Register | British Newspaper Archive". www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.
21. "Register | British Newspaper Archive".