Match Programme Article
Scottish ties have always been evident in many of the players who have represented the club. A match programme written in March 2007 congratulated three players in the senior squad who had just represented Scotland :-
• ROSS SAMSON - Scotland U19 v Italy at Melrose (Sunday 25th Feb.2007)
• GRAEME MACGILCHRIST – Scotland U20 v Italy (Friday 23rd Feb. 2007)
• ROBIN HOLROYD – Scotland U20 v Italy (Friday 23rd Feb. 2007 bench)

The programme article pointed out that, apart from those three, Ben Duncan, Keith Dungait, Cameron Johnston, Jamie Murray, Graeme Smith, Stuart Warwick and David Weir all had Scottish qualifications. Quite a talented contingent, playing an important part in in the cub’s successes – and they were just a few in the senior squad!

Cross-Border Links
Being situated so near to the Scottish border it is no surprise that Tynedale Rugby Club has always had strong links with its northern neighbours.

The Scottish connections began during the Club’s formative years, especially in the Scottish Border Sevens arena where Tynedale were regular and occasionally successful guests.
Prior to league rugby a lot of Tynedale’s tougher 1stXV prestige fixtures were against Scottish opposition with Scottish Champions at the time Hawick being our opposition in a match to mark both the opening of our Centenary Year and the new clubhouse on September 1st 1976.

The club’s Colts have competed in the Scot’s Junior Border league for about 50 years. There were few local sides strong enough to give the Colts competitive matches in the early days, and despite the distances they needed to travel for away matches the Colts teams only found the competition they craved across the Border. Both players and managers have always had an excellent rapport with their Border friends.

Senior players too have had cross-border links. Richard Cramb, a Tynedale RFC Vice-President, won 4 international caps for Scotland in the 1987 to 1988 season before playing later for Tynedale. He continued to strengthen those Scottish links when he coached and mentored the Tynedale Colts teams for several years up until 2019.

Three of Tynedale’s more recent Scottish Internationals, none of whom had Richard’s hereditary advantage of having been born in Scotland, are Tim Visser (33 caps 2012-2017), Tim Swinson (38 caps 2013-2019) and of course the most recent International, still going well is Chris Harris (20 caps 2017 to date).

Others Scots who have crossed the border to represent the club and gain Scottish representative honours include Rob Cunningham, Paul Boston, Dave Cherry, and Glen Young .

Over the years the club has relied on this Scottish input in many areas.
Captains of the club have included Hamish Hastie and Robin Lymburn (as well as Tynedale home grown “Scots” Simon Clayton-Hibbott and Jamie Murray); three excellent 1st XV Coaches, Peter Robertson, George Haldane and Scott Lawson; Colts Coach/Administrator for many years and current Vice-President Graham Sinclair and off the field Peter Robertson was President from 1990 to 1992 whilst Bill Stewart did sterling work for many years as Hon. Secretary.
Scots one and all!

D.F.Hamilton