George Neilson

{{Short description|Scotland international rugby union player}} {{about||the Scottish historian and antiquary|George Neilson (historian)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = George Neilson | image = | caption = | birth_name = George Thomson Neilson | birth_date = {{birth date|1872|01|22|df=y}} | birth_place = Bothwell, Scotland | death_date = {{Death date and age|1944|4|6|1872|01|22|df=yes}} | death_place = Milton, Glasgow, Scotland | height = | weight = | position = Forward | amatyears1 = | amatteam1 = West of Scotland | ru_amclubcaps = | ru_amclubpoints = | amupdate = | provinceyears1 = 1891 | province1 = Glasgow District | provinceapps1 = | provincepoints1 = | repteam1 = Scotland | repyears1 = 1891–96 | repcaps1 = 14 | reppoints1 = 6 | repupdate = | relatives = Willie Neilson, brother<br />Gordon Neilson, brother<br />Robert Neilson, brother<br />{{nowrap|George Thomson, grandfather}} | module2 = {{Infobox officeholder | embed = yes | office = President of the Scottish Rugby Union | term_start = 1901 | term_end = 1902 | predecessor = Robert MacMillan | successor = Roger Davidson | prior_term = | order = 28th }} }}

'''George Neilson''' was a Scotland international rugby union player.<ref name=Bath1>Bath, p137</ref>

==Rugby union career==

'''Amateur'''

He played for West of Scotland.<ref name=Bath1/>

'''Provincial'''

He was capped by Glasgow District in the inter-city match of 5 December 1891.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Glasgow Herald – Google News Archive Search|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4rxEAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GbYMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3214,6057981|access-date=2021-08-04|website=news.google.com}}</ref>

'''International'''

He was capped fourteen times for {{nrut|Scotland}} between 1891 and 1896.<ref name=Bath1/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://en.espn.co.uk/statsguru/rugby/player/962.html?class=1;template=results;type=player;view=match|title = Rugby Union – ESPN Scrum – Statsguru – Player analysis – George Neilson – Test matches}}</ref>

'''Administrative'''

Along with his brothers, William and Robert, he was a president of the Scottish Rugby Union. George was the 28th President of the Scottish Rugby Union. He served the 1901–1902 term in office.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/sru-files/files/SR_RR1819_digital.pdf|title=Scottish Rugby Record 2018/19|publisher=Scottish Rugby|access-date=22 March 2020|archive-date=16 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191116210013/https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/sru-files/files/SR_RR1819_digital.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Family==

His father was James Neilson, an Ironmaster and second cousin of Walter Montgomerie Neilson and his mother was Jane Thomson, daughter of George Thomson, the famous Glasgow shipbuilder. He attended Merchiston Castle School.

He was the brother of Willie, Gordon and Robert Neilson who were also capped for Scotland.<ref name=Bath1/> In 1891, he made his debut, along with his brother William in the game against {{nrut|Wales}} – it is the only time that brothers have debuted together for Scotland, with the exception of the joint debut of Gavin and Scott Hastings.<ref name=Bath2>Bath, p97</ref> One of the four Neilson brothers played in each of the twenty five matches between Willie and George's debut in 1891, until 1899, when Robert had to withdraw from the Calcutta Cup line-up after breaking his nose.<ref name=Bath2/>

==References==

;Sources {{refbegin}} # Bath, Richard (ed.) ''The Scotland Rugby Miscellany'' (Vision Sports Publishing Ltd, 2007 {{ISBN|1-905326-24-6}}) # Thorburn, Sandy ''The History of Scottish Rugby'' {{refend}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Neilson, George}} Category:1872 births Category:1944 deaths Category:People educated at Merchiston Castle School Category:Scottish rugby union players Category:Scotland international rugby union players George Category:West of Scotland FC players Category:Presidents of the Scottish Rugby Union Category:Glasgow District (rugby union) players Category:Rugby union players from South Lanarkshire Category:Rugby union forwards