# Merchistonian FC > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Merchistonian_FC > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Merchistonian_FC.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchistonian_FC > Source revision: 1338534334 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Scottish rugby union club, based in Edinburgh}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}} {{Use British English|date=October 2017}} {{Infobox rugby team | teamname = Merchistonian | fullname = Merchistonian Football Club | image = Merchistonian rfc logo.png | imagesize = 120 | countryflag = SCO | location = [Edinburgh](/source/Edinburgh), Scotland | union = [SRU](/source/Scottish_Rugby_Union) | branch = | nickname = | emblem = | founded = {{start date and age|1860}}[https://memories.scot/histories/rugby/rugby-history Rugby: How it started – possibly!] at Memories.scot | disbanded = | region = | ground = | capacity = | chairman = | ceo = | president = | rugby director = | coach = | captain = | caps = | toptestscorer = | appearances = | top scorer = | most tries = | league = | season = | position = | pattern_la1 = _redborder | pattern_b1 = _collarwhite | pattern_ra1 = _redborder | pattern_sh1 = | pattern_so1 = _navytop | leftarm1 = 000066 | body1 = 000066 | rightarm1 = 000066 | shorts1 = 000066 | socks1 = ff0000 }} '''Merchistonian Football Club''' is a [rugby football](/source/rugby_football) team based in [Edinburgh](/source/Edinburgh), [Scotland](/source/Scotland). It was for former pupils of [Merchiston Castle School](/source/Merchiston_Castle_School). It is believed the club was established in 1860. == History == === Beginning === Merchistonian was a founding member of the [Scottish Rugby Union](/source/Scottish_Rugby_Union) and one of the five Scottish clubs to issue the challenge to English football players that resulted in the [first rugby international](/source/1871_Scotland_versus_England_rugby_union_match). The club supplied three players for the match [Andrew Galbraith Colville](/source/Andrew_Galbraith_Colville), [George Ritchie](/source/George_Ritchie_(rugby_union%2C_born_1848)) and the scorer of the match's only goal (conversion) [William Cross](/source/William_Cross_(rugby_union)). Cross also scored one of Scotland's two tries to England's one however, at the time, tries did not result in points merely a 'try' at scoring a goal and Scotland won the match 1–0.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/sportscotland/asportingnation/article/0007/print.shtml|title=BBC - A Sporting Nation - The first international rugby match|website=www.bbc.co.uk}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.rugbyfootballhistory.com/timeline1870s.htm|title=Rugby Football History|website=www.rugbyfootballhistory.com}}[http://www.espnscrum.com/scotland/rugby/player/242.html William Cross international rugby profile] Scrum.com ===Decline=== However, as [Allan Massie](/source/Allan_Massie) notes, because it was a boarding school, unlike some of the other private schools in Edinburgh, a lot of the former pupils would disperse and go out of the city. Those that remained in the city would often play for [Edinburgh Wanderers](/source/Edinburgh_Wanderers).{{Cite web|url=https://www.scotsman.com/sport|title=Sport | The Scotsman|website=www.scotsman.com}} ===Revival=== In 2013, the Merchistonian Club (the School's former pupil society) revived the rugby team under the name "Merchistonian Rugby Football Club" (Merchistonian RFC). The side played its first match against traditional rival [Edinburgh Academical](/source/Edinburgh_Academical_Football_Club) with both sides fielding a strictly former pupil team (rather than Accies open first XV) at [Raeburn Place](/source/Raeburn_Place) on 29 March, losing 31–20. The intent was to play this fixture on an annual basis. Merchistonian RFC also competed in a number of [sevens](/source/rugby_sevens) competitions and the Edinburgh 10s in 2014.{{cite web|title=The Renaissance of The Merchistonian Rugby Football Club (MRFC)|url=http://www.merchistonians.co.uk/frmProfile.aspx?A=__262|website=The Merchistonian Club|publisher=The Merchistonian Club|access-date=31 October 2014}}{{cite web|title=Merchistonian Rugby Football Club revival|url=http://uk-rugby-shop.co.uk/merchistonian-rugby-football-club-revival/|website=UK Rugby |access-date=31 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141108164942/http://uk-rugby-shop.co.uk/merchistonian-rugby-football-club-revival/|archive-date=8 November 2014}}{{cite web|title=Merchistonian RFC|url=https://www.facebook.com/MerchistonianRFC/timeline|website=Facebook|publisher=Merchistonian RFC|access-date=31 October 2014}}{{cite web|title=The Teams|url=http://www.edinburgh10s.com/the-teams/|website=Edinburgh 10s|publisher=Edinburgh 10s|access-date=31 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031100351/http://www.edinburgh10s.com/the-teams/|archive-date=31 October 2014|df=dmy-all}} ===Status=== In 2017, the Scottish Rugby Union board granted the Merchistonian RFC its historic status of being a Football Club (FC) instead of a Rugby Football Club (RFC). Historically rugby clubs were also known as ''football'' clubs so once again the rugby club is named the 'Merchistonian Football Club' (MFC).{{cite web|title=MRFC to MFC|url=http://www.merchistonians.co.uk/frmProfile.aspx?S=7j4cw5t|website=The Merchistonian Club|publisher=The Merchistonian Club|access-date=13 November 2017}} ==Notable players== ===Scotland internationalists=== The following former Merchiston F.C. players have represented [Scotland](/source/Scotland_national_rugby_union_team) at full international level. * {{flagicon|Scotland}} [Thomas Anderson](/source/Thomas_Anderson_(rugby)) * {{flagicon|Scotland}} [Andrew Drybrough](/source/Andrew_Drybrough) * {{flagicon|Scotland}} [James Campbell](/source/James_Campbell_(rugby_union)) * {{flagicon|Scotland}} [Gordon Neilson](/source/Gordon_Neilson) * {{flagicon|Scotland}} [Tom Whittington](/source/Tom_Whittington_(rugby_union)) ===Edinburgh District=== The following former Merchiston F.C. players have represented [Edinburgh District](/source/Edinburgh_District_(rugby_union)) at provincial level. * {{flagicon|Scotland}} [Tom Whittington](/source/Tom_Whittington_(rugby_union)) * {{flagicon|Scotland}} E. Thew * {{flagicon|Scotland}} [Benjamin Blyth II](/source/Benjamin_Blyth_II) * {{flagicon|Scotland}} [Andrew Drybrough](/source/Andrew_Drybrough) ===British and Irish Lions=== The following former Merchiston F.C. players have represented the British and Irish Lions. * {{flagicon|Scotland}} [William Lovat Fraser](/source/William_Lovat_Fraser) ==SRU presidents== Former Merchistonians have been President of the SRU: * 1875–76 [Benjamin Blyth II](/source/Benjamin_Blyth_II) * 1882-83 [William Cross](/source/William_Cross_(rugby_union)) ==See also== * [Fettesian-Lorettonian Club](/source/Fettesian-Lorettonian_Club) ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * {{facebook |id = MerchistonianFC| name = }} * {{twitter |id = MerchistonianFC| name = }} {{Scottish Rugby Union Founding Members}} {{Rugby union in Edinburgh}} Category:Rugby union in Edinburgh Category:Sports clubs and teams in Edinburgh Category:Defunct rugby union teams in Scotland Category:Football clubs established in the 1860s Category:1860s establishments in Scotland {{Scotland-rugbyunion-team-stub}} --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Merchistonian FC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchistonian_FC) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchistonian_FC?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.