Gordon Waddell
Encyclopedia
Gordon James Barr Waddell (12 April 1937, Glasgow
-) was a Scottish rugby union
player, and the son of Herbert Waddell
. He played for the invitational tourist team, the Barbarians
and on two British and Irish Lions
tours. In fact he is the only Scottish stand off to be double lion. He had 18 caps between 1957–62, and was never dropped, although he had to leave because of injury - this record for a Scotland fly-half was only later broken by John Rutherford.
He played 12 times for the Barbarians between 1957 and 1960, scoring in three matches including their 1958 match against East Africa
in Nairobi
on 28 May 1958. In 1962 he was the controlling influence in Scotland's first win in since the 1930s, a feat not repeated for another twenty years.
,
He was selected in his first year out of school while doing National Service
in the Royal Navy
for Calcutta Cup
game in 1957. This created resentment as his father, Herbert Waddell
was a "Big cheese" in the SRU
.
Allan Massie
also suggests that he was unpopular because he was a kicking fly-half, which irritated older fans who preferred running rugby. However, Gordon Waddell never scored a try for Scotland, but
On the 1962 British Lions tour to South Africa
, he was dropped for English fly-half Richard Sharp
for last two tests, both of which the Lions lost.
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
-) was a Scottish 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...
player, and the son of Herbert Waddell
Herbert Waddell
Herbert Waddell was a Scottish rugby union fly-half who played club rugby for Glasgow Academicals and international rugby for Scotland and the British Isles...
. He played for the invitational tourist team, the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
and on two British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
tours. In fact he is the only Scottish stand off to be double lion. He had 18 caps between 1957–62, and was never dropped, although he had to leave because of injury - this record for a Scotland fly-half was only later broken by John Rutherford.
He played 12 times for the Barbarians between 1957 and 1960, scoring in three matches including their 1958 match against East Africa
East Africa rugby union team
Established in 1950, The East Africa rugby union team is a multi-national rugby union team drawing players from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, though the vast majority of these came from Kenya which has traditionally been the strongest rugby playing nation in this part of the world...
in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
on 28 May 1958. In 1962 he was the controlling influence in Scotland's first win in since the 1930s, a feat not repeated for another twenty years.
Playing career
Waddell was not popular with fans, according to Allan MassieAllan Massie
Allan Massie is a well-known Scottish journalist, sports writer and novelist.-Early life:Born in 1938 in Singapore, where his father was a rubber planter for Sime Darby, Massie spent his childhood in Aberdeenshire...
,
- "he was the only Scottish player in memory to be actively disliked and resented by a large section of the crowd. He was shamefully barracked in at least one Scottish trial. Part of the reason for this rested in... [that he] had been the outstanding member of the great FettesFettes CollegeFettes College is an independent school for boarding and day pupils in Edinburgh, Scotland with over two thirds of its pupils in residence on campus...
sides of the Fifties, when the school went five years without defeat from another Scottish school... he was taken as the arch-representative of Fettes. He seemed to display the contemptuous arrogance that typified that generation of Fettesians, the sense of belonging to a different order to other schoolboys, and to have carried this attitude into adult life."
He was selected in his first year out of school while doing National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
for Calcutta Cup
Calcutta Cup
The Calcutta Cup is a rugby union trophy awarded to the winner of the annual Six Nations Championship match between England and Scotland. It is currently England's since the 2009 Six Nations Championship....
game in 1957. This created resentment as his father, Herbert Waddell
Herbert Waddell
Herbert Waddell was a Scottish rugby union fly-half who played club rugby for Glasgow Academicals and international rugby for Scotland and the British Isles...
was a "Big cheese" in the SRU
Scottish Rugby Union
The Scottish Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland. It is the second oldest Rugby Union, having been founded in 1873, as the Scottish Football Union.-History:...
.
Allan Massie
Allan Massie
Allan Massie is a well-known Scottish journalist, sports writer and novelist.-Early life:Born in 1938 in Singapore, where his father was a rubber planter for Sime Darby, Massie spent his childhood in Aberdeenshire...
also suggests that he was unpopular because he was a kicking fly-half, which irritated older fans who preferred running rugby. However, Gordon Waddell never scored a try for Scotland, but
- "He gave the scoring pass for a good many tries, to George Stevenson against in 1958 for instance, and to Norman Bruce against the following year."
On the 1962 British Lions tour to South Africa
1962 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1962 the British Lions rugby union team toured Southern and Eastern Africa. Overall the tourists played twenty-five matches, winning sixteen, losing five and drawing four....
, he was dropped for English fly-half Richard Sharp
Richard Sharp
Richard Adrian William Sharp from Cornwall, was educated at Blundell's School and at Balliol College, University of Oxford. He was a former Cornish rugby player at Redruth R.F.C., Wasps FC, Bristol FC and England rugby union fly-half and captain. He played for England while at Oxford and led...
for last two tests, both of which the Lions lost.