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Frank Moffat

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Frank Moffat
Birth nameFrank J. C. Moffat
Date of birth1894
Place of birthEdinburgh, Scotland
Date of death1978 (aged 83–84)
Place of deathEdinburgh, Scotland
SchoolGeorge Watson's College
UniversityUniversity of Edinburgh
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
- Watsonians ()
Coaching career
Years Team
- Frank Moffat's XV
Refereeing career
Years Competition Apps
1931 Scottish Districts
1932 Home Nations 1
66th President of the Scottish Rugby Union
In office
1952–1953
Preceded byDan Drysdale
Succeeded byMalcolm Allan

Lt. Col. Frank Moffat (1894-1978) was a Scottish rugby union player. He became an international referee and the 66th President of the Scottish Rugby Union.[1] He had a distinguished military career with the Gordon Highlanders in the First World War.

Rugby Union career

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Amateur career

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He played for Watsonians.[2] He scored 47 tries in club rugby in the 1920–21 season.[3]

Referee career

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He refereed the Glasgow District versus South Africa match in 1931.[4]

He was an international referee. He refereed the Wales versus England match in the 1932 Home Nations Championship.[5]

Coaching career

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He organised his own representative side, the Frank Moffat XV. His side would play Watsonians every year around New Year. He very often picked players from north-east Scotland in his team. His side accrued a lot of status and the Frank Moffat XV versus Watsonians match was almost treated as another trial match by the Scotland selectors.[6][7][8]

Administrative career

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During the Second World War Moffat was the convenor of the Scottish Command Rugby Football Committee.[9]

He was a member of the SRU selection committee for many years.[3]

He was Vice-President of the SRU in 1951.[10][11]

He was President of the Scottish Rugby Union for the period 1952 to 1953.[12][13]

Military career

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He was a Lieutenant Colonel of the Gordon Highlanders and a member of the Royal Company of Archers.[2]

Moffat won the Distinguished Service Order in 1917 for his service with the 8/10th battalion in the Battle of Ypres.[14]

The citation reads:[15]

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in an attack. He was in command of the right attacking company, which was opposed to a powerful system of the enemy’s defences. He led his company forward with the greatest courage and determination under heavy fire, but they were eventually held up by a machine-gun firing from a concrete emplacement. This he attacked single-handed, putting all the team out of action. He was badly wounded during this encounter, but, inspiring his men to further efforts, he led them several hundred yards further before he fell exhausted. His splendid courage and determination were undoubtedly responsible for the success of the attack.

The Gordon Highlanders Museum in Aberdeen features the 'Moffat Trench' - a replica First World War trench - which is named after him.[16]

As an archer Moffat won the Montrose Silver Arrow competition twice; in 1954 and in 1959 after a play-off.[17]

Outside of rugby union and military

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He studied medicine at Edinburgh University but as war broke in 1914 he joined the Gordon Highlanders and never returned to medicine.[15]

He played cricket for Watsonians.[18]

He was a mining engineer by trade. In 1947 he was appointed Estates Mining Engineer for the Scottish division of the National Coal Board.[2]

He died in hospital in 1978 after a stroke. His death was at the end of March that year.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "F.J.C. Moffat". ESPN scrum.
  2. ^ a b c d https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000578/19780331/410/0025 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ^ a b https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000470/19520603/200/0006 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ^ "Rugby Memorabilia Society". www.rugby-memorabilia.co.uk.
  5. ^ "Wales v England". ESPN scrum.
  6. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000564/19381228/148/0007 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000577/19371220/046/0005 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19390103/278/0005 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000564/19430130/079/0004 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000564/19511030/095/0005 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000564/19510526/074/0004 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ^ "Scottish Rugby Record 2018/19" (PDF). 16 August 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 November 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  13. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000564/19520524/077/0005 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. ^ https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-press-and-journal-aberdeen-and-aberdeenshire/20190326/281663961356264 – via PressReader. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ^ a b "Bio" (PDF). marchmontstgiles.org.uk. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  16. ^ "Museum | Gordon Highlanders Museum".
  17. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001970/19590625/061/0004 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000563/19200802/082/0007 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)