James 'Hamish' Cooper Dawson (29 October 1925 – 19 October 2007) was a rugby union international who represented Scotland from 1947 to 1953 gaining 20 caps.[1]

Hamish Dawson
Birth nameJames Cooper Dawson
Date of birth(1925-10-29)29 October 1925
Date of death19 October 2007(2007-10-19) (aged 81)
Place of deathMauchline, Scotland
SchoolGlasgow Academy
Strathallan School
UniversityThe Queen's College, Oxford
Occupation(s)Chartered accountant
Managing Director
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock / Prop
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
- Oxford University ()
Glasgow Academicals ()
London Scottish ()
Barbarians ()
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
- Glasgow District ()
- Cities ()
- Scotland Probables ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1947-1953 Scotland 20 (3)

Rugby Union career

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Amateur career

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Dawson was educated at Glasgow Academy, Strathallan School in Perthshire and The Queen's College, Oxford.[2] He was a talented all-round sportsman, particularly swimming, cricket and rugby.[2] Dawson received a blue for Oxford University, playing against Cambridge University in the 1943-44 season.[3]

He played club rugby for Glasgow Academicals RFC, London Scottish FC and the Barbarians FC.[2]

Provincial career

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Dawson was capped for Glasgow District.[4]

He played for the Cities District side in their match against Australia in October 1947.[5]

He turned out for the Scotland Probables side in 1947.[6]

International career

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Dawson made his debut for Scotland in a 16-7 loss to Australia at Murrayfield during their 1947-48 tour of Great Britain, one of eight new Scotland caps that day.[2] His first three caps were played at lock, which included a 9-8 victory over France at Murrayfield and a 14-0 loss to Wales in Cardiff in the 1948 Five Nations Championship.[1]

Dawson's next seventeen caps were played at prop starting with an 8-0 victory over France in the 1949 Five Nations Championship in Paris.[1] This was followed by a 6-5 win over Wales at Murrayfield and a 13-3 defeat to Ireland at the same venue.[1] He played all four matches in the 1950 Five Nations Championship, starting with a third consecutive victory over France, 8-5 in Edinburgh.[1] Scotland lost 12-0 to Wales and 21-0 to Ireland in Cardiff and Dublin respectively.[1] Regaining some pride with a 13-11 win against England at Murrayfield.[1]

In 1951 Dawson played on five occasions for Scotland, starting with a 14-12 loss to France in Paris. On 3 February, he scored his only points for Scotland with a try in a 19-0 win against Wales at Murrayfield.[1] Three weeks later Scotland lost narrowly to Ireland, 6-5 in Edinburgh, starting a run of 17 consecutive matches without a win, lasting until 1955.[1][7] Dawson also played in the 5-3 defeat to England at Twickenham; Scotland avoiding the 1951 Five Nations Championship wooden spoon on points difference.[1] Later that year Scotland suffered a record 44-0 loss to South Africa at Murrayfield, with South Africa losing only once on their 31-game 1951-52 rugby tour.[1]

Dawson played in all four matches of the 1952 Five Nations Championship.[1] Scotland losing all four matches: 13-11 to France in Edinburgh, 11-0 to Wales in Cardiff, 12-8 to Ireland in Dublin and 19-3 to England at Murrayfield.[1] Dawson played his last match for Scotland against England at Twickenham in a 26-8 loss in the 1953 Five Nations Championship, Scotland receiving the 'wooden spoon' for the second consecutive year.[8]

Military career

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In 1943 he joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, initially serving as a midshipman based at HMS King Alfred and then transferring to HMS Ulysses (R69) in the British Pacific Fleet.[3][8] Dawson then served as a sub-lieutenant on a minesweeper in Hong Kong until December 1946.[3]

Outside of rugby

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After the war, he qualified as a chartered accountant in 1948. He rose through the ranks of Ritchies Paper Products Limited finally becoming managing director in 1968.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Hamish Dawson". ESPNscrum. 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d "Former Scots prop Dawson dies at the age of 81". The Scotsman. 24 October 2007. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  3. ^ a b c "Rugby Internationalists" (PDF). Strathallan School. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  4. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19471208/064/0002 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ^ "Wallabies' Display Was Best Of Tour". 17 October 1947. p. 10 – via Trove.
  6. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19471222/070/0002 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ^ "Mike Blair backs Scotland's Frank Hadden". The Daily Telegraph. 24 October 2007. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  8. ^ a b "Hamish Dawson". Scottish Rugby Union. 23 October 2007. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  9. ^ "Hamish Dawson". Scottish Rugby Union.