Robert Neilson

{{short description|Scotland international rugby union player}} {{distinguish|Robert Nelson (disambiguation){{!}}Robert Nelson}} {{for|New Zealand rugby player|Bob Neilson}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = Robert Neilson | image = | caption = | birth_name = Robert Thomson Neilson | birth_date = {{Birth date|1878|11|17|df=yes}} | birth_place = Bothwell, Scotland | death_date = {{Death date and age|1945|07|16|1878|11|17|df=y}} | death_place = Prestwick, Scotland | height = | weight = | position = Half back | amatyears1 = | amatteam1 = West of Scotland | ru_amclubcaps = | ru_amclubpoints = | amupdate = | provinceyears1 = | province1 = Glasgow District | provinceapps1 = | provincepoints1 = | repteam1 = Scotland | repyears1 = 1898–1900 | repcaps1 = 6 | reppoints1 = 0 | repupdate = | coachteams1 = | coachyears1 = | ru_coachupdate = | module2 = {{Infobox officeholder | embed = yes | office = President of the Scottish Rugby Union | term_start = 1923 | term_end = 1924 | predecessor = Herbert Dixon | successor = Robert Campbell MacKenzie | prior_term = | order = 44th }} }}

'''Robert Neilson''' (17 November 1874 – 16 July 1945<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=28 July 1945 |title=Mr R.T. Neilson |work=The Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser |pages=11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=19 July 1945 |title=Deaths |work=The Daily Telegraph |pages=6}}</ref>) was a Scotland international rugby union player.<ref name=Bath1>Bath, p137</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://en.espn.co.uk/scotland/rugby/player/1283.html|title = Robert Thomson Neilson}}</ref>

==Rugby Union career==

===Amateur career===

He also played for West of Scotland FC.<ref name=Bath1/><ref name="news.google.com">{{cite web| url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PoxEAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RbUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3794%2C5994353| title = The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search}}</ref>

===Provincial career===

He was capped for Glasgow District in 1898.<ref name="news.google.com"/>

===International career===

He was capped six times for {{nrut|Scotland}} between 1898 and 1900.<ref name=Bath1/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://en.espn.co.uk/statsguru/rugby/player/1283.html?class=1;template=results;type=player;view=match|title=Rugby Union – ESPN Scrum – Statsguru – Player analysis – Robbie Neilson – Test matches}}</ref>

===Administrative career===

He was President of the Scottish Rugby Union for the period 1923 to 1924.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/sru-files/files/SR_RR1819_digital.pdf |title=Scottish Rugby Record 2018/19 |date= |website=Scottish Rugby}}</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. An engineer by profession he was a director of the Summerlee Iron Company Ltd.<ref name=":0" />

He was the brother of George, Gordon and Willie Neilson who were also capped for Scotland.<ref name=Bath1/> In 1891, he made his debut, along with his brother George 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/> Robert played another match in 1900.<ref name=Bath1/>

Along with his brothers, Willie and George, he was a president of the Scottish Rugby Union. At the time of his death, he was Scotland's sole representative on the International Board of Rugby.<ref name=":0" />

==References== {{reflist}}

;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, Robert}} Category:1870s births Category:1946 deaths Category:People educated at Merchiston Castle School Category:Scottish rugby union players Category:Scotland international rugby union players Robert Category:West of Scotland FC players Category:Glasgow District (rugby union) players Category:Presidents of the Scottish Rugby Union Category:Rugby union players from South Lanarkshire Category:Rugby union halfbacks