Co-Optimist Rugby Club

Co-Optimist Rugby Club
Nickname(s)Co-Ops
Founded1924
Team kit
Official website
www.co-optimistrugbyclub.co.uk

The Co-Optimist Rugby Club is an invitational rugby union club founded in 1924 by Jock Wemyss, the former Scottish test player, together with George St Claire Murray, a rugby enthusiast from the Watsonians club.[1]

The Co-Optimists have played against national fifteen-a-side teams including France, Ireland and Zimbabwe in the 1980s.[1] The club also has a proud record at the Hong Kong Sevens tournament, finishing as runner-up to Fiji in 1980,[2][3] as a semi-finalist against Australia in 1981, and a quarter-finalist in 1986.[2]

Club colours and emblem

The club colours are a navy blue jersey with white shorts and navy and white hooped socks. The Co-Optimist badge is a lion couchant in blue on a white background.

Notable players

Many well-known international players have represented the club including: Finlay Calder, Jonathan Davies, Mike Gibson, Gavin Hastings, Scott Hastings, Andy Irvine, Dickie Jeeps, John Jeffrey, Tom Kiernan, Ian McGeechan, Doddie Weir, Tony O’Reilly and Rob Wainwright.[1]

Partial list of games played against international opposition

XVs

Year Date Opponent Venue Result Score Tour
1979 14 October South Africa South African Barbarians Mansfield Park, Hawick Win 24 - 4 Report
1989 6 April Soviet Union Soviet Students Meggetland Sports Complex, Edinburgh Win 17 - 15 Report

Sevens

Year Date Opponent Venue Result Score Tour
1980 12 April Canada Canada 7s Hong Kong Win
1980 12 April Australia Australia 7s Hong Kong Win
1980 13 April New Zealand New Zealand 7s Hong Kong Win
1980 13 April Fiji Fiji 7s Hong Kong Loss 8 - 12 Report
1981 28 March Indonesia Indonesia 7s Hong Kong Win 22 - 6 Report
1981 28 March Singapore Singapore 7s Hong Kong Win 22 - 4 Report
1981 29 March Australia Australia 7s Hong Kong Loss 10 - 18 Report
1986 5 April Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea 7s Hong Kong Win 26 - 0 Report
1986 5 April Canada Canada 7s Hong Kong Win 14 - 8 Report
1986 6 April France French Barbarians Hong Kong Loss 10 - 22 Report

Honours

References

  1. ^ a b c "Co-Ops History". Co-Optimist Rugby. 2016. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Brazen behaviour: how fans like to party hard at Hong Kong Sevens". South China Morning Post. 18 March 2015. Archived from the original on 3 May 2017.
  3. ^ "The HK 7s history". Fiji Times. 9 April 2016. Archived from the original on 5 June 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  4. ^ "Edinburgh Charity Sevens". Scottish Sevens tournaments. 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  5. ^ "Edinburgh Borderers Sevens". Scottish Sevens tournaments. 9 June 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  6. ^ "Glasgow High Kelvinside Sevens". 26 August 2021.