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TIME LINE
1469- Shetland comes under Scottish rule.
1816- Navy ratings returning from South Seas introduce Rugby Sevens to Ollaberry.
1823- William Webb Ellis said to have picked up the ball and run with it.
1846- Rugby rules first written down.
1870- The first County match, Yorkshire v Lancashire.
1871- RFU formed.
1871- The first Scotland v England match.
1872- The first Varsity match.
1873- SRU formed.
1874- ARU formed.
1878- Lerwick Football Club founded.
1878- Rugby first introduced to Sri Lanka (that other famous Rugby Island)
1878- Robert Stout of Lerwick, Prime Minister of New Zealand.
1878- Lansdowne Road hosts it's first International.
1878- Halifax first winners of Yorkshire Cup. (ay up Troutie!)
1878- Calcutta Cup presented by the Calcutta Club of India.
1879- The first Orkney v Shetland match.
1879- IRFU formed.
1890- The Barbarians founded.
1880- WRU formed.
1883- The first Melrose Sevens.
1883- The first Home Nations Championship
1888- North District formed
1889- SARB formed.
1891- The first Lions tour.
1892- NZRFU formed.
1895- The Great split, Rugby League formed.
1900- The first Olympic Rugby tournament
1905- FFR formed.
1922- Mal Smith born in Bootle.
1925- Scotland win first Grand Slam
1931- The first Bledisloe match
1967- Club Patron, Sandy Carmichael wins first Scotland cap.
1972- Lerwick RFC re-constituted.
1976- First Hong Kong Sevens.
1979- Shetland Times Cup marks Centenary of 1st Orkney v Shetland match.
1984- Scotland win second Grand Slam.
1984- The first Shetland Invitational Sevens.
1987- The first Rugby World Cup.
1990- Scotland win third Grand Slam.
1993- The first Rugby World Cup Sevens Tournament
1996- The first Tri-Nations Series
1993- The first Commonwealth Games Sevens Tournament
2002- Lerwick RFC re-named Shetland RFC.
2003-SHETLAND RUGBY IS 125 YEARS OLD!!!!!!!!!!!


SHETLAND RUGBY TIMES PAST
125 years ago
From Shetland Times

5th October 1878
Football Club - On Wednesday evening a number of young men, who had previously given their adherence to the scheme met in the commissioner's rooms.
Dr. Skae having been called to the chair, it was proposed and unanimously agreed that a Football Club be formed to be called "Lerwick Football Club" It was also agreed the "Rugby" should be the code of rules to be followed by the club.

####################ADDITION TO 5TH OCTOBER 1878 #############################
The following office-bearers were then proposed and unanimously elected.
President Dr. F. D. A. Scae
Captain Mr. Dan Mitchell
Vice-Captain Mr. R. B. Hunter
Secretary/Treasurer Mr. Arthur Sandison
Messrs D. Kay, A. Manson and W. Robertson were appointed to assist the office bearers in the management.
A committee was appointed to take steps to secure a suitable piece of ground, and as the Club starts with a membership of over thirty names they ought to have some good matches during the season.
#################################################################################
19th October 1878
Football - The Lerwick Football Club having been fully organised and a park secured an opening match was played on Friday afternoon sides having been chosen by Captain (D. Mitchell) and Vice-Captain (R. Hunter) respectively.
The ground was not nearly all that could be wished as there is a very considerable slope and the surface is very rough, but it is difficult to get anything in the shape of a park in the vicinity of the town and the Club were congratulating themselves in the fact of getting any sort of place for a game.
The day was fine and about twenty for members engaged in the game a good many of them mounting blue jerseys and red "nightcaps".
The Rugby rules were new to most of the players and caused a little confusion, occasionally, but play was entered into with great spirit and the rules will soon become familiar we are not going to describe the outs and ins of the game except that it reminds us of the historians description (slightly altered) of a celebrated battle.

" Some say that we wan and some say that they wan and some say that both ran away, man; but whether we wan or they wan, I know that we all ran and a battle was fought there that day, man."

26th October 1878
AMUSEMENTS - The Football Club had a practice on Thursday and Friday afternoons. The days were fine but the ground was very soft after the rains the previous day so that a player did not look much improved in personal appearance after being "down" which seemed to be a frequent occurrence from the number of times we heard the word repeated - often in a smothered tone.
But they did not seem to mind and played away in evident enjoyment of tumbles and kicks. Might we say in connection that football is a good thing when taken in moderation yet there are many people who could enjoy a little amusement who cannot enjoy a football match. We have a choral society and a literary society and a scientific society are they going to see any signs of life this winter?



THE FIRST "CHRISTMAS" MATCH

4th January 1879 Football - It has been arranged to have a grand match on Tuesday first (Old Christmas day) in the clubs field adjoining the Institute. A number of ladies and gentlemen have expressed s wish to see a game. An opportunity of doing so will now be afforded them as the park will be open to visitors who will obtain admission by the gate in Lovers Loan. We would advise visitors to keep outside the boundary flags as otherwise they will be in the way of the players and perhaps may come to grief. A. J. Hay esq. has kindly agreed to act as umpire and as all the members of the club have promised to attend a first-rate match may be anticipated. We hope to see a good turn out of the "beauty and fashion" to enliven the scene and stimulate the players.

11th January 1879
Football - As announced last week the Football Club had arranged to play a match on Tuesday. A good many spectators had turned out to witness the game as played according to the Rugby Rules; but, unfortunately the weather was very unsuitable the wind blowing so strong a to carry the ball clean out of the field whenever it rose, and the ground being very hard. However, about a dozen enthusiastic members turned out and attempted to play for a short time.

PLAY GOES ON

15th February 1879
Football - The popularity of this game is on the increase, if one may judge from the large turn out of members and the number of matches played all of which ha been closely contested. We understand that four matches have been arranged for next week.
Viz. Tuesday Captain v Vice Captain
Wednesday Secretary v Captain
Thursday Secretary v Vice Captain
Friday between any two members of the Club
The games will commence at 3.30 on each day and we hope the turn out of members will be as much as it has been this week.

22nd February 1879
Football - Owing to the unpropitious state of weather the matches announced in our last issue did not take place. A gallant attempt was made on Wednesday to play the match between Captain and Secretary but owing to the hardness and slipperiness of the ground the game had t be stopped after two quarters had been got through not a few of the players having made a doleful acquaintance with Mother Earth and nothing decisive having been obtained on either side. We understand the matches will be played in the same order as formally announced during the ensuing week if the weather be favourable.

INTER-COUNTY INITIATED
1st March 1879
Football Club - At a meeting of this Club held on Wednesday evening it was resolved after a long discussion to dispatch a challenge to the Kirkwall Football Club to play a match here on 24th current.
We hope the Kirkwallians will accept the gage so gallantly thrown down and if they do we have no fear our Club will repent of their temerity in challenging such doughty opponents. From what we have seen of the dash and pluck of the Lerwegians in this game we think that it will take a very strong team to thrash them; and even if beaten our men will have the consolation of knowing that it is not by untried opponents. The accounts of the Kirkwall Club's men as received from their friends here are well calculated to deter Lerwick from dispatching a challenge. The smallest member of their team we have heard is taller and heavier than the largest man that our Club can produce. We doubt not, however that the team finally selected to do battle for Lerwick will uphold the honour of Ultima Thule and prove this Club to be Champion Football players of the North.

8th March 1879
Football - We intimated last week that the Lerwick Club had agreed to send a challenge to Kirkwall.
At a meeting of Kirkwall Club on Wednesday t was suggested that the match should be played at Kirkwall as the Club had engaged to play Thurso on 1st April. We understand that arrangements are being made to get up a team t play for Lerwick at Kirkwall when the mid-week steamer come on.

22nd March 1879
Football Club - Owing to the kindness of Mr Alexander Milliken, the Club have got the use of a fine level park for a few matches before proceeding to Kirkwall. A match will be played on the new ground on Tuesday first.

29th March 1879
Football Club - During the first part of the week the weather though cold was dry and bracing and the ground in capital condition for play. The Club had a match every day n the park at Bellevue to put them in condition for the coming match. There were good musters of members at each match and some keen play. The Rugby rules are quite new to Football players in the locality and keen debate over the minutise of the game will be of assistance in the coming contest with the Kirkwallians who are more familiar with that style of play.

FIRST INTER-COUNTY SQUAD ANNOUNCED

19th April 1879
Football Club - Some good practice matches have been played during the week, the "final one of the season" being played yesterday in a park kindly lent by Mr Saunders, the Manse .The team to play Kirkwall is now finally arranged and will proceed South by the Saint Magnus on Monday.
The following is the names and arrangement for the match:-

Backs
W. Robertson, John Mouat, D Mitchell (Captain), J Donaldson, P. Garriock jun., Archibald Sutherland
Forwards
W. G. Sinclair, D. Laurenson, Laurence Goudie, Wm. Robertson, D. Morrison, James Smith, Chas. Duncan, James Ollason, James Garriock

The average weight of the team is 9 Stone 12 lbs.

3rd May 1879
A fully detailed account of the first Inter-County is given in the Shetland Times, almost a full page of broad sheet!

Lerwick played in Blue and White hoops and Kirkwall in Dark Blue.

Kirkwall won by 8 goals and 7 tries to Lerwick's 0

The average weight of the Lerwick team is again given as 9 Stone 12 lbs and Kirkwall 11Stone 8 lbs (seemingly initial recognisance was accurate!)



Gradually the association game came to the fore in Shetland and by the turn of the Century Rugby had all but disappeared.
It was not until 1972 that the Club was re-constituted and struggled on to where it is today.
As in the 19th Century competition was limited to local matches, with the Ness & RAF Saxa Vord providing opposition and as the oil industry came to Shetland so did rugby players and the likes of the Sullom Voe Oil Blacks, LJK Mushrooms and Motherwell Bridge provided opposition.
Then there are the teams within the Club the most famous or infamous of which were the Footballers and recently Shetland has been divided into Lerwick, Shetland Barbarians, Westside Fugelhammers and North Zetland in order to provide local competition.
In 1979 a piece in the "100 years ago" column in the Shetland Times prompted the revival of Inter-County and it has been a regular punctuation of the Shetland Rugby season ever since.
Along the way there was a memorable victory in 1981 over a West of Scotland team containing three Internationals.
Shetland sevens took off in 1984 and now takes the shape of Shetland Mid-Summer Sevens.
Various tours in the best rugby traditions have seen Shetland travel to Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Middlesborough, Holland and Trinidad and Tobago.
It was in Trinidad in 1999 that "Ultima Thule" was awarded the Larry Mouttet Memorial Trophy for upholding the spirit of the Caribbean international sevens competition.
With the annual Inter-County, local matches and the occasional tour providing all Shetland's competition, the brave decision to enter the Whitbread Cup was taken in 1998.
A memorable victory against Huntly led to an equally memorable defeat to Mackie Academy FP but the seeds were sown, "We could take part in Mainland competition!"
In 2002 Shetland took the bold decision to apply for entry on the North District League.
A probationary season followed in 2002-03 with unbeaten matches against Peterhead (A), Grampian Police (A), Banff (H) and NDL Champions, RAF Kinloss home and away.
2003-04 saw entry to the BT Cell-net Cup for the first time and a victorious first season in the North District League, leading to promotion to BT National League Division 5 Caledonia B. 125 years of practice had paid off!

Black'N'Blue Tour
Royal High 40 - 14 Shetland
The capital was not looking it's best on this rainy Saturday morning. Mind you neither were the Shetland rugby fifteen, many of whom walked onto the pitch looking greyer than the rain clouds above.
It had all started so well. The team had arrived at Edinburgh's Turnhouse airport ready for this year's black n' blue tour. An early meeting with former All Black's captain, Todd Blackadder, soon to be plying his trade with the Edinburgh Gunners, set the tone for the weekend.
The team then headed into for Edinburgh for the obligatory round of social engagements, a course of action which many were inevitably to regret.
A chance encounter with a New Zealander who could make a brick outhouse look like a tent secured an extra international ticket, meaning that everyone who wanted to see Scotland skelped by the All Blacks, now could.
Sadly for Todd Blackadder, he was to encounter the Shetlanders once more that night in one of the Grassmarket's hostelries. We shall draw a veil over his words of greeting.
Onto the Saturday morning and the game against Royal High. A nasty rumour circulates that some of the team did not return to their hotel until 5 am. Surely no-one could be so stupid the night before a game. Sadly the rumours prove true. Clearly the training routine of these miscreants relies less on Pinsent and Redgrave and more on Scottish and Necastle.
After a twenty minute taxi ride to the leafy suburb of Barnton, the team assembled at the Royal High Club. The home team looked big and were, horror of horrors, warming up. Shetland lined up looking like the roll call after a particularly brutal battle. The pitch was glaury and the omens for a successful encounter looked bleak.
Royal High were led by 'the man fae Unst,' Derek Ritch, a former Shetland captain whose been playing his rugby in Edinburgh for about five years. The home team started off well securing most of the possession but the expected avalanche failed to materialise. Some excellent Shetland tackling from Whakaari, Geddes and Leslie meant that the Edinburgh side were held in check for the first fifteen minutes.
A score had to come. Loose tackling in midfield gave Royal High the space they needed and some excellent handling considering the conditions gave them the first try of the game. They added to this five minutes later, pressure on the Shetland line beginning to tell.
Captain John Tait's men now seemed to shake off their collective hangover and actually put some moves together. Whakaari, Wayne Leslie, Steven Leask, now nicknamed Osama, on account of his rather fierce foliage, and Mason all had runs at the home defence.
The half time whistle gave both teams some much needed respite and a chance for an injured Tait to reassess his options. On came Marvin Inkster and Andrew Hough.
The second half saw Shetland stunned. They had scored. Scott Hatrick scoring the first Shetland points, Geddes converting from out wide. Sadly it was not enough as Royal High were to score another three tries. However Shetland did manage another score, this time from debutant, Marvellous Marvin Inkster. The Burra youngster was playing in his first rugby match and promises well for the future. Geddes again converted from near the touchline.
Shetland performed well against a well drilled side, if a side which flattered to deceive. With the game finished thoughts turned to that other match being played in Edinburgh that day.
Special mention must go to John Kay, who was injured in the warm-up; Gary Irvine, the team medic; Mal 'Methuselah' Smith, who spent the whole match patching up Royal High; team attendants, Donna Murray and Eddie Anderson and bagman, Bob McBain.
The Shetland team would also like to send their special thanks to David Adamson and Partners for sponsoring the tour shirts.
Special mention must also go to the Shetland player who went to his bed at seven o'clock on the Friday night after playing his full part in the social part of the tour. His was an astounding achievement and quite beyond the call of duty.

Shetland team: Hatrick, MacKinnon, Nicol, Killeen, Tait, Leslie, Kirkness, Carrol, Geddes, Whakaari, Mason, Leask, Leslie, Webb, Hough, Inkster, Kay, Irvine, Smith.


125 Anniversary Tour
SHETLAND RFC 125 TOUR ~ MIDDLESBROUGH AUGUST 2003 As an appetizer for the upcoming North District league campaign, Shetland Rugby Club dispatched a team behind enemy lines into Middlesbrough for a pre-season tour.
A lunchtime stop in Newcastle gave the Shetland lads the chance to look around Kingston Park and take in a Newcastle Falcons training session.
On the Friday evening they took on a combined 1st and 2nd XV from Middlesbrough Rugby Club and on the Saturday they played an Acklam XV. Both games were played in soaring temperatures over 30°Celsius.
The Friday game was a real eye-opener for the tourists who really had no idea what to expect from their opponents. From the start, the difference between the sides was fairly obvious with the local side bigger, fitter, better organised and harder in virtually all areas and much more experienced.
However, the Shetland side were not over-run or over-awed and in fact started the scoring when after 10 minutes solid defence they worked up field and from a scrum 15 metres out, Bob McBain took a burst over into Zion Land to score the first of his day's tries. A combination of powerful forward play and fast back play.
In the second half the trouble really started for Shetland when their hosts changed their front row and put on a trio who England use to practice with. Given the gulf in experience up front, it was amazing how well the Shetland players, Andrew Hough, Scott Hatrick and Eddie Nicol did. Unfortunately, with the scrum going backwards, possession was scant and scrappy and before Bob McBain struck again, our hosts had racked up more points than most can care to remember.
However, Bob McBain did strike again from a ruck and as in his first, shrugged off and span out of several tackles before hauling his enormous frame over the line. This encouraged the tourists and although the game was up, pride was still at stake and with five minutes left on the clock, Martin Sidgwick scored in front of his mum and dad after a good passage of play by John Tait and Paul Wishart.
The final score at 55-15 to the hosts, was, when all factors considered a very respectable result and the Shetland side travelled to Acklam the following day in optimistic mood.
Unfortunately, Acklam although not the same quality side as Middlesbrough were a strong aggressive and very big side especially their backs, who were not exactly fast but were the biggest the Shetland side had ever encountered. As in the previous match, Shetland scored first. This time it was Paul Wishart who crossed the line after some good handling along the back line, and again an equalising score quickly followed before Steve Smith for Shetland cut a lovely angle through the defence and slammed down, this time converted by Mike Skinner. A few minutes later Skinner himself scored, out-manoeuvring and out-pacing the defence from 40 metres to touch down on English soil, for the first time since 1971, and converted by Skinner.
The half-time score had Shetland leading 19-17 but unfortunately, the heat, the travel, the previous day's hard encounter, and most of all the Acklam team, proved just too much for Shetland and the final score read 38-19 to Acklam and was a fair reflection of play.
The whole tour was about team building, experience, gaining fitness. All of these were more than amply fulfilled. A lot of young players tasted good rugby and defeat for the first time and Shetland must build on that for the forthcoming season.
A club spokesman said he would like to thank not only Middlesbrough and Acklam RFC's but especially NorthLink Ferries for support. "Without their assistance, this trip would not have been possible."



SHETLAND INTER-COUNTY SQUAD 2001-THE TRUE STORY, WHETHER YOU COME FROM QUARFF,QUITENESS OR QUALSAY
1.SCOTTY BOY HATRICK THE GREENOCK MINGKARD (F.R.U.)
2.DAVIE I ALWAYS WANTED TO SPEW FOR SHETLAND SMITH (F.R.U.) (B.O.O.F.)
3.RUBY DON'T TAKE YOUR LOVE TO TOWN NICOL (F.R.U.) (NEVER CONSIDERED COWARD OF THE COUNTY) WINNING IN ORKNEY?WHATSTHAT?
4.LINCOLN I LIKE THESE SHORTS CAUSE THEY DON'T SHOW THE MUD CARROL (BGB)
5.KAPTAIN SERIOUS-WANTED MAN IN CINCINATI (BFG) PRESENTLY APPEARING @ FOLSOM PRISON~IGOTSTRIPESAROUNDMYSHOULDERS
6.WAYNE DO I REALLY HIV TAE SHARE WE HIM LESLIE AKA THE GOOD LOOKIN LESLIE VALID BOARDING PASSES TO ME PLEASE
7.COLIN GEE ITS GOOD TO BE BACK HOME KIRKNESS AKA CAMP COWBOY
8.LINDSAY THE ONLY WAY IS (7) UP LESLIE AKA THREE PANTS~AN AM OFF
9.MIKE THEY DO A SPLENDID CAFÉ LATE IN THE HAMNAVOE RESTAURANT SKINNER (IT WILL BE OK ONCE WE GET THE GRANT FROM SHETLAND ARTS TRUST)BOAT,ME? WHO ARE THE GUNNISTER MEN ANYWAY? AKA RUSSEL MORRISONS MINI ME
10.BRIAN BRING BACK MY RUBY (KICKING) SLIPPERS MURPHY
11.MISTY THOMSON
12.BRUCE WE 1A & 2A'S & AN OOH & AH,YA GOTTA GET LOWER THAN THAT MATE!
13.PADDY BOY THE PIPES ARE CALLING O'CONNOR (2X) (GRAND SLAM NO HOPER 3X)
14.CRAIG (2X) WEBB,KNOWN MEMBER OF THE KIWI THREE
15.ROBERT RUNNIN FOOL BACK GEDI (I FANCY THE OTHER TEAM ATTENDANT) HIS DAD IS PROUD OF HIM FOR THE HEIGHTS OF HIS ACHIEVEMENTS!
17.IAN MUCKLE ROE WIZ NIVVIR LIK DIS JAMIESON
18.PAUL HANDS,LEGS AND BUMPS A DAISY WISHART,ATTORNEY TO THE BISHOP
19.TOM THE CABIN BOY & HIS FRIEND, I CANT REMEMBER HER NAME BUT IT CERTAINLY WASN'T MASTER BATES
20.FORBES PAPARAZZI HOGG, EL PREZIDENTI,ARS LONGA VITA BREVIS
21.FRAZER IF I SAID YOU HAD A BEAUTIFUL BODY RIED (F.R.U.)
AND HIS AMAZING PLAN TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD
DIRECTOR OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT;PAUL BABY SITTING AGAIN WOODS
THE OLD MAN OF SHETLAND;CHIEF/CHEF MAL WE 1EY & 2EY'S & A CALM DOWN,CALM DOWN