Thomas James Smith was a Scottish professional rugby union player who played as a loosehead prop. Born in London and schooled in the Scottish Highlands, Smith began his career with Dundee HSFP and then Watsonians before joining the Caledonia Reds as the game changed from amateur to professional. A brief spell at Glasgow Warriors followed before two seasons at Brive and then eight successful years at Northampton Saints. At international level, Smith earned 61 caps for Scotland and was selected for two tours with the British & Irish Lions, in 1997 and 2001, starting six consecutive tests. After retiring from playing, he went into coaching.
Martin Osborne Johnson CBE is an English retired rugby union player who represented and captained England and Leicester in a career spanning 16 seasons. He captained England to victory in the 2003 Rugby World Cup, and is regarded as one of the greatest locks ever to have played, and one of England's greatest ever players.
Newcastle Falcons is a rugby union team that play in Premiership Rugby, England's highest division of rugby union.
Martin Edward Corry MBE is a retired English rugby union player who represented and captained England and Leicester Tigers in a career spanning 14 seasons. Corry played 64 times for England between 1997 and 2007, played 7 tests for the British & Irish Lions on tours in 2001 & 2005, and played 290 times for Leicester between 1997 and 2009. Earlier in his career he played top division rugby for Newcastle Gosforth and Bristol. A versatile player his principal positions were number eight and blindside flanker, he also played lock more as his career progressed.
Scott Murray is a former rugby union player who played lock for Scotland. He was at one time the record caps holder for Scotland having represented them on 87 occasions, five of which as captain and playing at three World Cups. He also toured with the British & Irish Lions and won Scotland player of the season three times. He is currently the head coach for the San Diego Legion of Major League Rugby (MLR).
Nathan Hines is an Australian-born former rugby union and rugby league footballer. He played at international level for Scotland, winning 77 caps, and at club level for Edinburgh, Perpignan, and Clermont Auvergne among others. He also played rugby league.
Sir Ian Robert McGeechan, OBE is a Scottish rugby union player, coach and teacher. Born in Leeds, McGeechan represented Headingley as his only club during a 15-year club career, qualifying for Scotland through his father he played 32 times internationally for Scotland over 7 years and won 8 caps on two tours for the British & Irish Lions. During his playing career he worked as a teacher. Upon retiring from playing McGeechan began coaching, in a career spanning 26 years he coached the most recent Scottish side to win a Grand Slam in the 1990 Five Nations Championship, and won Premiership Rugby & the European Cup with London Wasps in 2008 and 2007. He was head coach on four tours for the British & Irish Lions spanning 1989 to 2009 and was an assistant to the 2005 tour as well.
George Smith is an Australian retired rugby union player. He was a flanker for 12 years (2000–10,13) at the ACT Brumbies in Super Rugby, earning 142 caps.
The Zimbabwe national rugby union team, nicknamed the Sables, represents the Zimbabwe Rugby Union in international competition. While sides representing the colony of Rhodesia have played as early as 1910, the modern day Zimbabwe rugby team did not play its first test until 1981, against Kenya. Zimbabwe has competed in two World Cups, in 1987 and 1991, in place of South Africa, who were sanctioned by the IRB at the time due to apartheid. Zimbabwe is categorized as Tier 3 Development One, which prioritizes Zimbabwe over other nations due to historical success as well as popularity of rugby in the nation.
Lee Dickson is an English professional rugby union player who plays at scrum-half for Bedford Blues in the RFU Championship. Dickson played 49 times for Newcastle Falcons between 2004–2008 and 256 games for Northampton Saints between 2008–17. He played for the England national side 18 times between 2012–14.
Tom Wood is a former English rugby union player for Northampton Saints in the Aviva Premiership.
Cameron George Mather is a rugby union footballer who plays in the back row. He won eleven caps for Scotland between 1999 and 2004.
Richie Vernon is a former Scotland international rugby union player with London Scottish. He previously was with Glasgow Warriors, playing for the Glasgow side over two spells. He has also previously played for the now defunct Border Reivers and Sale Sharks.
George Thomas Ford is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Premiership Rugby club Sale Sharks and the England national team.
David Kipling Denton is a retired Zimbabwean-born Scottish rugby union player. He played in the back row, but could also play in the second row, and represented Edinburgh in the Pro12, Bath, Worcester Warriors and Leicester Tigers in England, and Scotland internationally.
Nathan William Jeremy Hughes is a professional rugby union player who is currently playing in the Japan Rugby League One side Ricoh Black Rams having left Bristol Bears in 2022. Born in Fiji he qualified to play for England on residency and won 22 caps between 2016 and 2019, however due to the amendment in international selection by the WRU, Hughes hopes to participate in the France 2023 RWC for his home nation. He plays as a flanker, a number 8 or at lock.
Francois Daniel "Slak" van Wyk is a South African rugby union player who currently plays as a loosehead prop for Bath in England's Premiership Rugby. He has previously played for Northampton Saints & Leicester Tigers in the Premiership, the Western Force in Super Rugby as well as Western Province in his native South Africa.
Nick Auterac is an English rugby union player who last played for Edinburgh Rugby in the United Rugby Championship.
Adam Hastings is a Scottish international rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Glasgow Warriors and the Scotland national team. He previously played for Gloucester and Bath.
