12 retrospective Scotland rugby caps to be awarded to Borderers

The Scottish Rugby Union this week agreed to hand out 56 caps to players involved in matches not granted test status at the time against the likes of Argentina, Fiji and Japan and 11 will go to representatives of clubs in the region at the time and another to an ex-Hawick player with London Scottish.

That move, set in motion by ex-SRU president Ian Barr in 2020, follows the Irish Rugby Football Union’s decision in April to give out a dozen historical caps.

The most recent of the 11 new caps heading to the region goes to former Melrose full-back Craig Redpath for his part in a Scottish XV’s 23-5 tour win in Tonga in June 1993.

The Galashiels-born 53-year-old, formerly head coach at Scottish Premiership side Marr, is the elder brother of former Scotland captain and Melrose scrum-half Bryan Redpath, capped 60 times between 1993 and 2003, and uncle to French-born current international Cameron Redpath, now on seven caps.

That match in Nuku’alofa was played a week after the Scots, fielding a team including current Gala president Gary Isaac and ex-Peebles prop Steve Ferguson, beat Fiji 21-10 at Suva’s Commonwealth Stadium, and their caps are among five being handed out for that victory.

The next newest of the region’s caps goes to Jed-Forest’s Ronnie Kirkpatrick for his role in a 24-19 loss to Canada in May 1991 in New Brunswick, a week after a 41-12 win against the USA in Connecticut for a side featuring Gala’s Mark Moncrieff.

The only one of the 23 matches upgraded to test status to be played in the Borders was a 15-12 victory against France at Netherdale in Galashiels in September 1987, with the hosts’ line-up including Melrose’s Ian Ramsey.

A year prior to that, in May 1986, Kelso’s Garry Waite helped a Scottish XV beat Spain 39-17 in Barcelona.

Almost a decade further back in history, former Edinburgh head coach and current Melrose director of rugby Rob Moffat was selected for the Scottish side that handed out a 74-9 thumping to Japan in September 1977, earning the 66-year-old a belated cap too.

The region’s other caps, for internationals played during the Second World War, go to Hawick’s Corporal Donald Maltman and Captain JAD Thom and Melrose’s Corporal R Cowe.

Hawick’s John Anderson, with London Scottish at the time, has also been awarded a cap for playing in an 11-6 win against a New Zealand army side in 1946.

Explaining today’s move, Colin Rigby, president of the union’s custodian board, said: “Those individuals who wore the thistle with pride and distinction, whether in services or victory internationals during and after the Second World War or who played under the label of a Scotland XV’ against other nations will now join the fabled ranks of the 1,140 other men to have been capped by Scotland since 1871.

“Given this year marks the 150th anniversary of the formation of the union, we wanted to look afresh at our history and recognise the rich and enduring contribution those players have made to our game.

“Awarding a cap retrospectively may seem purely symbolic or belated by some people, but I know from conversations with some of those players and their families what this decision will mean to them and that granting cap status will be cherished.”

Existing chronological cap numbers won’t be affected by this week’s cap handout as they’ll be numbered 1,141 to 1,196.

Crosby added: “Our plan is to reach out to the relatives of those sadly no longer with us and conduct a cap presentation for those from the services and victory international matches in tandem with our annual service of remembrance at the war memorial at Murrayfield on Armistice Day in November.

“We welcome contact from any relatives of those players from the 1940s so we can begin to plan for that ceremony.

“Thereafter, we will look to award caps during our home matches in next year’s Six Nations Championship.”