{{Short description|Scotland international rugby union player}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = Tom Aitchison | image = | caption = | birth_name = Thomas Graham Aitchison | birth_date = {{birth date|1907|01|08|df=y}} | birth_place = Galashiels, Scotland | death_date = {{Death date and age|1977|12|25|1907|01|08|df=yes}} | death_place = Clovenfords, Scotland | height = | weight = | position = Full Back / Centre | amatyears1 = - 1932 | amatteam1 = Gala | amatapps1 = | amatpoints1 = | amatyears2 = 1932 - | amatteam2 = West of Scotland | amatapps2 = | amatpoints2 = | amatyears3 = | amatteam3 = | amatapps3 = | amatpoints3 = | amatupdate = | years1 = | apps1 = | points1 = | clubupdate = | provinceyears1 = | province1 = South of Scotland District | provinceapps1 = | provincepoints1 = | provinceyears2 = 1928 | province2 = Provinces | provinceapps2 = | provincepoints2 = | provinceyears3 = 1929 | province3 = Scotland Probables | provinceapps3 = | provincepoints3 = | repsevensyears1 = | repsevenscomp1 = | ru_sevensupdate = | repteam1 = Scotland | repyears1 = 1929 | repcaps1 = 3 | reppoints1 = 0 | repteam2 = | repyears2 = | repcaps2 = | reppoints2 = | repupdate = | coachteams1 = | coachyears1 = | ru_coachupdate = }} '''Tom Aitchison''' (8 January 1907 – 25 December 1977) was a Scotland international rugby union player.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/scotland/rugby/player/3654.html|title=Thomas Graham Aitchison|website=ESPN scrum}}</ref>
==Rugby Union career==
===Amateur career===
Aitchison played for Gala. He was captain in the 1929–30 season. He was in the Gala side that won the Scottish Unofficial Championship in the 1931–32 season.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19771227&printsec=frontpage&hl=en|title=The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}}</ref>
On moving to Glasgow he then played for West of Scotland.<ref name="auto"/>
===Provincial career===
He played for the South of Scotland District. He was in the side that drew with the South Africa international side on 31 October 1931.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000564/19311102/157/0010 |title=Register |access-date=June 4, 2023 |url-access=subscription |via=British Newspaper Archive}}</ref>
Aitchison played for the Provinces District side (also known as the north–south side) on 22 December 1928.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000563/19281203/102/0007 |title=Register |access-date=June 4, 2023 |url-access=subscription |via=British Newspaper Archive}}</ref>
He played for the Scotland Possibles side against the Scotland Probables side in the final trial match of the 1928-29 season to determine international selection.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000577/19290105/006/0002 |title=Register |access-date=June 4, 2023 |url-access=subscription |via=British Newspaper Archive}}</ref>
===International career===
He played for Scotland 3 times, in the year 1929.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/statsguru/rugby/player/3654.html|title=Rugby Union - ESPN Scrum - Statsguru - Player analysis - Tom Aitchison - Test matches|website=ESPN scrum}}</ref>
His first match was against Wales. The ''Dundee Courier'' reported his selection for the Scotland-Wales match: <blockquote> The Scottish party arrived at Swansea yesterday afternoon, and later was announced that the full-back position vacated by Drysdale would be filled T. G. Aitchison, of Gala. This will be Aitchison's first international, and, while it would be ridiculous to suggest that he is in the same class as either Drysdale or Warren, I believe he will be quite a good selection. On his showing for the North and South against the Anglo-Scots on his own ground he was rather disappointing, but it is always an ordeal for a man to make his debut in really big football before his own people. In the final trial at Murrayfield he was a different man altogether, and on foreign soil where has nothing worry about except the job in hand he is quite likely to do well. He is not such long kick as either Drysdale or Warren, but he is a good field, and his tackling lacks nothing in courage. </blockquote>
He also played for the combined Scotland-Ireland side against the combined England-Wales side in October 1929.<ref name="auto"/>
==References==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Aitchison, Tom}} Category:1907 births Category:1977 deaths Category:Rugby union players from Galashiels Category:Scottish rugby union players Category:Scotland international rugby union players Category:Gala RFC players Category:South of Scotland District (rugby union) players Category:Scotland Possibles players Category:West of Scotland FC players Category:Provinces District (rugby union) players Category:Rugby union centres