Alf Bucher
Encyclopedia
Alfred "Alf" Moore Bucher (22 March 1874 – 20 August 1939) was a Scottish
international rugby union
wing who played club rugby for Edinburgh Academicals
. Boucher played international rugby for Scotland
and was selected for the British Isles
team on its 1899 tour of Australia
.
, in 1874 to Francis Busher and Grace Webster Smith. Bucher served in the First World War and was a 2nd Lieutenant in the City of Edinburgh Motor Volunteer Corps.
, an encounter against England
at Fallowfield in Manchester. Bucher was brought in at wing as a replacement for George Campbell, and was joined at threequarters with fellow Academical player Alexander Weir Robertson, who was also winning his first cap. Scotland lost the game 12-3, and despite scoring a try
on his debut, Bucher was never reselected for his country again.
In 1899, Bucher was invited to represent the British Isles on the team's first official tour to Australia. Bucher played in 17 of the 20 arranged matches, and was part of the British Isles team in the First Test against Australia
, played in Sydney. After the tourists lost the First Test, captain Matthew Mullineux
made several team changes, and Bucher was replaced by H.G.S. Gray
, a trialist who normally played as a forward. Despite a comprehensive win in the Second Test, Gray was dropped for the Third Test and Boucher was back on the wing, this time partnered opposite Elliot Nicholson
. Bucher scored two tries in the game, which proved decisive as the British won by a narrow 11-10 margin. Bucher retained his place for the Final Test, and scored his third international try of the tour in as 13-0 win over the Australians.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
international rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
wing who played club rugby for Edinburgh Academicals
Edinburgh Academicals RFC
The Edinburgh Academical Football Club, also known as Edinburgh Accies or Edinburgh Acads, is a rugby union football club in Edinburgh, Scotland. The club was formed in 1857 and is the oldest rugby club in Scotland, the second oldest club in continuous existence in the world behind Dublin...
. Boucher played international rugby for Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
and was selected for the British Isles
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
team on its 1899 tour of Australia
1899 British Lions tour to Australia
The 1899 British Isles tour to Australia was the fourth rugby union tour by a British Isles team and the second to Australia; though the first tour in 1888 was a private venture, making the 1899 tour the first official undertaking of Australia...
.
Personal history
Bucher was born in LeithLeith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
, in 1874 to Francis Busher and Grace Webster Smith. Bucher served in the First World War and was a 2nd Lieutenant in the City of Edinburgh Motor Volunteer Corps.
Rugby career
Bucher came to note as a rugby player while representing Scottish club side, Edinburgh Academicals. It was while with the Academicals that he was selected to win his one and only cap for the Scottish national team. Bucher was chosen for the final game of the 1897 Home Nations Championship1897 Home Nations Championship
The 1897 Home Nations Championship was the fifteenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Four matches were played between 9 January and 13 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales...
, an encounter against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
at Fallowfield in Manchester. Bucher was brought in at wing as a replacement for George Campbell, and was joined at threequarters with fellow Academical player Alexander Weir Robertson, who was also winning his first cap. Scotland lost the game 12-3, and despite scoring a try
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
on his debut, Bucher was never reselected for his country again.
In 1899, Bucher was invited to represent the British Isles on the team's first official tour to Australia. Bucher played in 17 of the 20 arranged matches, and was part of the British Isles team in the First Test against Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
, played in Sydney. After the tourists lost the First Test, captain Matthew Mullineux
Matthew Mullineux
Matthew Mullineux MC was an English rugby union scrum-half who, although not capped for England, was selected for two British Lions tours. He gained one cap during the 1896 tour to South Africa and captained the 1899 tour of Australia...
made several team changes, and Bucher was replaced by H.G.S. Gray
H.G.S. Gray
H.G.S. Gray was a Scottish player on the 1899 British Isles tour to Australia . He was never capped for , but had appeared in the Scottish Trials....
, a trialist who normally played as a forward. Despite a comprehensive win in the Second Test, Gray was dropped for the Third Test and Boucher was back on the wing, this time partnered opposite Elliot Nicholson
Elliot Nicholson
Elliot Tenint Nicholson was an English international rugby union wing who played club rugby for Birkenhead Park...
. Bucher scored two tries in the game, which proved decisive as the British won by a narrow 11-10 margin. Bucher retained his place for the Final Test, and scored his third international try of the tour in as 13-0 win over the Australians.