Rugby Union career
Amateur career
Don-Wauchope first came to note as a rugby player while studying at Cambridge. He won two sporting Blues for rugby in 1880 and 1881,and captained the Cambridge University team. Whilst still at university,Don-Wauchope and A.R. Paterson of Loretto School organised the first meeting of the Fettesian-Lorettonian Club, [6] until then a loose collection of former school pupils that had played cricket together the previous season. The club was founded in 1881,and Don-Wauchope became captain of the Fettesian-Lorettonian club.
While at Cambridge,Don-Wauchope took his Fettesian-Lorettonian team,firstly on tours of Scotland,and then venturing into North England. After playing several games against more well founded Scottish teams,such as West of Scotland and Edinburgh Wanderers,the club faced English teams,Manchester and Huddersfield. Although losing my narrow score lines in Scotland,the Fettesian-Lorettonian team won both matches in England,which saw the Athletics News report "...persons who saw the doings of the Fettes-Loretto boys in Huddersfield and Manchester are willing to swear that a better team never existed,and a general wish has been expressed that Don-Wauchope should bring his grand team into the North of England once more."
In 1883 he was playing for Edinburgh University. [7]
Later that same season,he moved to Edinburgh Wanderers. [7]
Provincial career
He was capped by Edinburgh District for the inter-city match in 1883. [7]
He was capped by East of Scotland District in their match against the West of Scotland District in January 1884. [8]
International career
He was chosen to represent Scotland in the 1881 international friendly with England. The game ended in a draw,and although not present for Scotland's next encounter,against Ireland,he was again playing at half-back for the next match to England. The game was played at Manchester,with Scotland winning by two tries to nil,the first time Scotland had beaten the English on their own soil.
After playing in the very first Scotland match against Wales in early 1883,scoring his first international try in the game,Don-Wauchope was incapacitated for the rest of the season with a knee injury. [2] He regained his place for all three matches of the 1884 Home Nations Championship,paired at half back with Oxford University rival Augustus Grant-Asher. After victories over Wales and Ireland,where he scored another try,this time against Ireland;the Scottish team were beaten by England in a contentious game at Blackheath. The next season saw Scotland draw to Wales,beat Ireland,and refuse to face England. Don-Wauchope played in both games of the 1885 Championship and in the home clash with Ireland,not only scored his third international try,but was also joined at half-back with his younger brother Patrick Hamilton Don-Wauchope. This was Patrick's first international game,and he would go on to win five more caps for Scotland.
The 1886 Championship saw Scotland win the tournament trophy for the first time,with wins over Wales and Ireland,and a draw against England. Don-Wauchope scored a try in the encounter with Wales and two in a massive victory over the Irish. Although missing all of the 1887 international matches,Don-Wauchope played one final game for his country in 1888. Played at home against Ireland,he was given the honour of the Scotland captaincy,leading his team out to a final victory.
International matches played
Scotland
Referee career
After his retirement from playing international rugby,Don-Wauchope kept his connections with the sport when he became a referee. He first officiated an international match in 1889 when he took charge of the Home Nations Championship encounter between Wales and Ireland. It had been a busy day for Don-Wauchope,as he had spent the morning chairing a meeting of the International Rugby Board. [9] He went on to referee another two international games,in 1890 and 1893.
Administrative career
Don-Wauchope became the 17th President of the Scottish Rugby Union. He served the 1889–90 term in office. [10]
