Elliot Nicholson
Encyclopedia
Elliot Tenint Nicholson was an English
international rugby union
wing who played club rugby for Birkenhead Park. Nicholson played international rugby for England
and was selected for the British Isles
team on its 1899 tour of Australia
.
, as 'a very fast wing'. Nicholson was not chosen for either of the first two Tests against Australia
, with captain Mullineux choosing Irish wing Gerry Doran
; but in the Third Test Nicholson was brought into the squad. The British Isles won the Test by a narrow 11-10 score line, and Nicholson kept his place for the fourth and final test.
On his return to Britain, Nicholson found himself in favour with the English selectors and was brought into the England team for the 1900 Home Nations Championship
. After losing all three games the previous Championship, the selectors brought in 13 new caps for the opening game, against Wales, and Nicholson was the only member of the threequarter line with any international experience. The game ended in a Welsh victory, although Nicholson scored his first and only international points during the match with a try
. Despite losing the opening game, Nicholson was retained by the selectors for the second English game of the tournament, which was played at home to Ireland. England won the game 15-4, but Nicholson was dropped from the team for the next game, and never reselected for his country again.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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 Birkenhead Park. Nicholson played international rugby for 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...
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...
.
Rugby career
Nicholson came to note as a rugby player while playing for Birkenhead Park, and in 1899 he became the first player form the club to represent the British Isles team; now known as the British Lions. Nicholson was selected for the British Isles tour of Australia, and was described by the team captain, Matthew MullineuxMatthew 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...
, as 'a very fast wing'. Nicholson was not chosen for either of the first two Tests 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...
, with captain Mullineux choosing Irish wing Gerry Doran
Gerry Doran
Gerald "Gerry" Percy Doran also known as Blucher Doran, was an Irish international rugby union wing who played club rugby for Lansdowne. Doran played international rugby for Ireland and in 1899 he was selected for the British Isles team on its tour of Australia...
; but in the Third Test Nicholson was brought into the squad. The British Isles won the Test by a narrow 11-10 score line, and Nicholson kept his place for the fourth and final test.
On his return to Britain, Nicholson found himself in favour with the English selectors and was brought into the England team for the 1900 Home Nations Championship
1900 Home Nations Championship
The 1900 Home Nations Championship was the eighteenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 6 January and 17 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.-Table:-Results:...
. After losing all three games the previous Championship, the selectors brought in 13 new caps for the opening game, against Wales, and Nicholson was the only member of the threequarter line with any international experience. The game ended in a Welsh victory, although Nicholson scored his first and only international points during the match with 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...
. Despite losing the opening game, Nicholson was retained by the selectors for the second English game of the tournament, which was played at home to Ireland. England won the game 15-4, but Nicholson was dropped from the team for the next game, and never reselected for his country again.