{{short description|Scotland international rugby union player}} {{for|British general|Arthur Dorward (British Army officer)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = Arthur Dorward | image = | birth_name = Arthur Fairgrieve Dorward | nickname = | birth_date = 3 March 1925 | birth_place = Galashiels, Scotland | death_date = {{death date and age|2015|08|04|1925|03|03|df=yes}} | death_place = Melrose, Scotland | height = | weight = | amatyears1 = - | amatteam1 = Cambridge University R.U.F.C. | amatteam2 = Gala RFC | ru_amupdate = | years1 = | clubs1 = | apps1 = | points1 = | ru_clubupdate = | ru_currentclub = | province1 = South of Scotland

| provinceyears1 = - | provinceapps1 = | provincepoints1 = | ru_provinceupdate = | ru_position = Scrum-half | repteam1 = Scotland | repteam2 = Barbarians | repcaps1 = 15 | reppoints1 = 3 | ru_ntupdate = | repyears1 = 1950-57 | other = | occupation = | school = Sedbergh School | university = University of Cambridge | relatives = Tom Dorward, brother<br>Ali Williams, 1st cousin (twice removed) }}

'''Arthur Fairgrieve Dorward''' (3 March 1925 &ndash; 4 August 2015) was a Scottish international rugby union player who played fifteen matches between 1950 &ndash; 1957.<ref name="bath">{{cite book |first=Richard |last=Bath |title=The Scotland Rugby Miscellany |publisher=Vision Sports Publishing Ltd |year=2007 |page=[https://archive.org/details/scotlandrugbymis0000bath/page/138 138] |isbn=978-1-905326-24-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/scotlandrugbymis0000bath/page/138 }}</ref><ref name="scotsman">{{cite news |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/obituary-arthur-dorward-ruby-player-1-3853740 |title=Arthur Dorward |newspaper=The Scotsman|date=10 August 2015 |accessdate=17 January 2016}}</ref>

==Rugby Union career==

===Amateur career===

Dorward was born in 1925 in Galashiels.<ref name="scotsman" /> He was educated at St. Mary's School, Melrose, and Sedbergh School in Cumbria, where he was head boy.<ref name="scotsman" /> Dorward proceeded to St John's College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a degree in French and German.<ref name="scotsman" />

He played rugby for Cambridge University R.U.F.C. for three seasons, winning three blues and captaining the team in his final year.<ref name="times">{{cite news |url=http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/13598859.Arthur_Fairgrieve_Dorward/ |title=Arthur Fairgrieve Dorward |newspaper=Evening Times |date=14 August 2015 |accessdate=17 January 2016}}</ref> He was also a member of the 1948 Oxford-Cambridge rugby union tour of Argentina.

Following his graduation he returned to Galashiels, to work for the family textile business, and play for Gala RFC, for whom he had already made his debut aged 17.<ref name="times" />

All his club rugby was played with Gala, with whom he played for fifteen years, before retiring at the age of 32.<ref name="scotsman" /> He captained Gala for three seasons between 1954 and 1957.<ref name="scotsman" /> Leading the team to the 'unofficial' Scottish championship in 1957.<ref name="scotsman" /> He also won several Borders Sevens winners' medals at Gala, Hawick and Jed-Forest.<ref name="scotsman" />

===Provincial career===

Dorward also represented the South of Scotland in the Scottish Inter-District Championship.<ref name="times" /> He played for the South against {{nrut|New Zealand}}, {{nrut|Australia}} and South Africa in tour matches.<ref name="times" /> He was selected for the Barbarians several times and was a member of the 1957 Barbarians tour of Canada.<ref name="times" />

===International career===

Dorward made his debut for {{nrut|Scotland}} against {{nrut|France}} in the 1950 Five Nations Championship.<ref name="ESPN">{{cite web |url=http://www.espnscrum.com/scotland/rugby/player/5100.html |title=Arthur Dorward |publisher=ESPN Scrum |accessdate=8 April 2015}}</ref> Scotland won the match 8–5 at Murrayfield.<ref name="ESPN2">{{cite web |url=http://en.espn.co.uk/statsguru/rugby/player/5100.html?class=1;template=results;type=player;view=match |title=Arthur Dorward - Match by Match |publisher=ESPN Scrum |accessdate=17 January 2016}}</ref> His next match was against {{nrut|South Africa}} at Murrayfield on their 1951–52 South Africa rugby union tour.<ref name="ESPN2" /> Scotland lost 44–0; one of seventeen consecutive defeats between 1951 and 1955.<ref name="ESPN2" />

In the 1952 Five Nations Championship he played against {{nrut|Wales}}, {{nrut|Ireland}} and {{nrut|England}}.<ref name="ESPN2" /> He became the first Gala player to captain Scotland for the match against England.<ref name="ESPN2" /> England won the match 19–3 at Murrayfield.<ref name="ESPN2" /> Dorward captained Scotland twice during the 1953 Five Nations Championship against France and Wales.<ref name="ESPN2" /> He also played in the defeat to England at Twickenham.<ref name="ESPN2" />

Dorward played one match in the 1955 Five Nations Championship in the loss to France.<ref name="ESPN2" /> The following year he played against Ireland and England in the 1956 Five Nations Championship; losing both matches.<ref name="ESPN2" /> He played four matches in the 1957 Five Nations Championship, which included two victories.<ref name="ESPN2" /> A win against the French in Paris and another against Wales at Murrayfield.<ref name="ESPN2" /> His final two matches for Scotland ended in defeat.<ref name="ESPN2" /> A loss to Ireland at Murrayfield and defeat to England at Twickenham.<ref name="ESPN2" />

One of the highlights of his career was scoring a drop goal against Wales at Murrayfield to win the match 9–6 in 1957.<ref name="scotsman" /> He scored from just short of the halfway line and ten metres in from touch; his only international points.<ref name="scotsman" />

==Famous relatives== Arthurs brother Tom Dorward was also capped for Scotland.<ref name="bath" />

The New Zealand lock, Ali Williams', maternal grandfather was his cousin.<ref name="indie">{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/international/ali-williams-aims-to-upset-his-distant-relations-8281231.html |title=Ali Williams aims to upset his distant relations |newspaper=The Independent |date=4 November 2012 |accessdate=17 January 2016}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorward, Arthur}} Category:1925 births Category:2015 deaths Category:Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge Category:Barbarian F.C. players Category:Cambridge University R.U.F.C. players Category:Gala RFC players Category:People educated at Sedbergh School Category:People educated at St Mary's School, Melrose Category:Rugby union players from Galashiels Category:Scotland international rugby union players Category:Scottish rugby union players Category:South of Scotland District (rugby union) players Category:Rugby union scrum-halves