Watsonians
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| Full name | Watsonian Football Club |
|---|---|
| Union | Scottish Rugby Union |
| Founded | 1875 |
| Location | Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Ground(s) | New Myreside (Capacity: 5,500) |
| President |
 Keith Watters (2014-16) |
| Coach(es) |
Marcus Di Rollo (head) |
| Captain(s) | Ross Aitken |
| Most caps |
Mark Watters (348) |
| Top scorer |
Gavin Hastings (1203) |
| League(s) | Scottish Premiership |
| 2015–16 | Scottish National League Division One, 1st (Promoted) |
| Official website | |
| www |
|
Watsonian Football Club is a rugby union club based in Edinburgh and part of the Scottish Rugby Union. The club is connected with George Watson's College as a club for former pupils, but now accepts players who did not attend the school. It is one of a small number of rugby union clubs entitled to call itself a 'football club', rather than a 'rugby football club'.
Watsonians has four male squads and one ladies team who play in the following leagues:
1st XV – coached by Marcus Di Rollo. 2nd XV – coached by Conan Sharman. 3rd XV – coached by Johnny Sandlan.
Club Captain – Chris Hunter 1st XV Captain – Ross Aitken
The 1st XV team enjoyed a successful 2005–06 season, winning the BT Cup and finishing second in the Scottish Premiership, Division 1. In 2012–13 season the club narrowly failed to return to the Premiership, finishing 3rd in the National League. In the most recent 2014–15 season they came 4th. The coaching team is led by ex-Scotland player Marcus Di Rollo.
Scottish Club Champions : 1891–92, 1892–93, 1893–94, 1894–95, 1896–97, 1902–03, 1908–09, 1909–10, 1910–11, 1911–12, 1913–14, 1920–21, 1934–35, 1936–37, 1969–70, 1997–98
Division 2 Champions : 1990–91, 2002–03
Scottish Cup Winners : 2006
Watsonians also has a women's team which play in National League Division 1 of the Scottish Rugby's Women's League. Formed in 2001 by a number of players from different clubs around the city, the team played in Premier league for seven years before being relegated in 2013–14.
The team is coached by Tristan Gray (former coach of Premiership side RHC Cougars) and is currently captained by Emily Cotterill.
The Watsonian Football Club played its first game on 30 January 1875 against St George that ended in a draw. Right from the beginning the emphasis was on expansive play combined with enjoying rugby football both on and off the field. With this noble aim, Watsonians has evolved and achieved many successes to confirm its place as one of the leading clubs in Scottish Rugby.
In 1876, Watsonians adopted the maroon & white colours it wears today and two years' later the Club moved to Myreside, named after a local farm. In 1877 the Club became a member of the Scottish Football Union (the SRU from 1924). Watsonians won their first Scottish Club Championship in season 1891–92, but their greatest period of dominance came between 1908 and 1914 when they won the championship a further five times. The team of 1909–10 (pictured right) was undefeated against Scottish opposition during that season.
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Wikipedia