Herbert Waddell
Encyclopedia
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
. Waddell was heavily involved with the invitational tourist team, the Barbarians
, not only playing for the club, but also became the fifth president of the club in 1973
before switching to Fettes College
and later completed his education in France. Waddell fought in the British Army
during the Second World War
, commanding the 11th Highland Light Infantry
. He remainded with the 11th during their change to a tank unit, commanding the second battalion, the 141st regiment RAC
. Waddell finished the war with a Mention in Dispatches and the rank of full Colonel
.
He was the father of the rugby player Gordon Waddell
.
, played against France. Although Scotland lost, Waddell scored his first international in the game with a dropped goal, and was reselected for the rest of the tournament. During the 1924 Championship, Waddell scored a try
in a humiliating win over Wales
, and a pair of tries in a home victory over Ireland
. Although the tournament ended in a poor loss to the eventual champions, England, it turned into a good year for Waddell, with an invitation to tour with the Barbarains immediately after the England game; and then selected to represent the British Isles on their tour of South Africa
.
The South African tour turned into a difficult and injury prone affair, with the British losing three of the four tests. Waddell played in all three loses, missing the Third Test, a draw at Port Elizabeth, when he was replaced by Bill Cunningham. On his return to Britain, Waddell was back in the Scotland team for the 1925 Championship
, which saw Scotland win all four matches and take their first Grand Slam
. Waddell played in two of the wins, away to Ireland at Lansdowne Road
and the first International at Murrayfield, a narrow victory over England. Waddell scored a dropped goal in both matches. Waddell played for Scotland a further nine times, bringing his total caps for his country to 15. His final game was during the 1930 Five Nations Championship
, having missed the 1928 and 1929 tournaments due to an ulcer and then a shoulder injury.
In 1926, Waddell was elected to the Committee of the Barbarians, a rarity for a member who was still a player. In 1956 he was elected Vice-President, and in 1974 succeeded Brigadier Glyn Hughes as President.
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...
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...
fly-half who played club rugby for Glasgow Academicals
Glasgow Academicals RFC
The Glasgow Academical Football Club is one of the oldest rugby football clubs in Scotland. This history is notable for a number of reasons, including the clubs longevity, its early foundation in the timeline of rugby, and the fact that the club produced many internationals...
and 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 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...
. Waddell was heavily involved with 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...
, not only playing for the club, but also became the fifth president of the club in 1973
Personal life
Waddell was born in Scotland in 1902 and was first educated at The Glasgow AcademyThe Glasgow Academy
Founded in 1845, the Glasgow Academy is the oldest fully independent school in Glasgow, Scotland. It is located in the Kelvinbridge area and has approximately 1300 pupils, split between three preparatory school sites and a senior school....
before switching to Fettes College
Fettes College
Fettes College is an independent school for boarding and day pupils in Edinburgh, Scotland with over two thirds of its pupils in residence on campus...
and later completed his education in France. Waddell fought in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, commanding the 11th Highland Light Infantry
Highland Light Infantry
The Highland Light Infantry was a regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1959. In 1923 the regimental title was expanded to the Highland Light Infantry ...
. He remainded with the 11th during their change to a tank unit, commanding the second battalion, the 141st regiment RAC
Royal Armoured Corps
The Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...
. Waddell finished the war with a Mention in Dispatches and the rank of full Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
.
He was the father of the rugby player Gordon Waddell
Gordon Waddell
Gordon James Barr Waddell 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...
.
Rugby career
Waddell became a keen rugby player whilst a schoolboy and captained the Fettes College team. On leaving education he joined Glasgow Academicals, a team he would represent throughout his international career. Waddell first represented Scotland in the opening game of the 1924 Five Nations Championship1924 Five Nations Championship
The 1924 Five Nations Championship was the tenth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirty-seventh series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby...
, played against France. Although Scotland lost, Waddell scored his first international in the game with a dropped goal, and was reselected for the rest of the tournament. During the 1924 Championship, Waddell scored 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...
in a humiliating win over Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
, and a pair of tries in a home victory over Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
. Although the tournament ended in a poor loss to the eventual champions, England, it turned into a good year for Waddell, with an invitation to tour with the Barbarains immediately after the England game; and then selected to represent the British Isles on their tour of South Africa
1924 British Lions tour to South Africa
The 1924 British Isles tour to South Africa was the tenth tour by a British Isles team and the fifth to South Africa. The tour is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming convention was not adopted until 1950...
.
The South African tour turned into a difficult and injury prone affair, with the British losing three of the four tests. Waddell played in all three loses, missing the Third Test, a draw at Port Elizabeth, when he was replaced by Bill Cunningham. On his return to Britain, Waddell was back in the Scotland team for the 1925 Championship
1925 Five Nations Championship
The 1925 Five Nations Championship was the eleventh series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirty-eighth series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby...
, which saw Scotland win all four matches and take their first Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
. Waddell played in two of the wins, away to Ireland at Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...
and the first International at Murrayfield, a narrow victory over England. Waddell scored a dropped goal in both matches. Waddell played for Scotland a further nine times, bringing his total caps for his country to 15. His final game was during the 1930 Five Nations Championship
1930 Five Nations Championship
The 1930 Five Nations Championship was the sixteenth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the forty-third series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby...
, having missed the 1928 and 1929 tournaments due to an ulcer and then a shoulder injury.
In 1926, Waddell was elected to the Committee of the Barbarians, a rarity for a member who was still a player. In 1956 he was elected Vice-President, and in 1974 succeeded Brigadier Glyn Hughes as President.