Talk:1973 Argentina rugby union tour of Ireland and Scotland

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North or North & Midlands?[edit]

The game in Aberdeen on 20 November was listed in Rothmans Yearbook as "Scottish North & Midlands" but might be ambiguous. The report from the Glasgow Herald here [1] is headed "The North" but refers to "Northeners and Midlanders" in the second para and in the last para talks about the North & Midlands selectors retaining the same team to play the South in the Inter-District game. The previous day's paper [2] also previews the game as North & Midlands, so on that basis I've reverted the team link to North & Mids rather than just North. --Bcp67 (talk) 16:25, 25 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

It's confusing but here's what I have gathered after reading John Methven's Midlands First and Last:

It's definitely classed as The North but it was a North and Midlands team. Historically the Midlands district provided players to The North of Scotland team (which was also it's own district). They even played Midlands v North of Scotland matches for selection to the North of Scotland team. Midlands complained to the SRU after North of Scotland competed in the first season of the Scottish Inter-District Championship in 1953-54 - as, as usual, they had several players in The North team - the SRU agreed and the team entered in that championship was 'North and Midlands' from then on. (1954-1996)

However Midlands players were still included in the North of Scotland side in their matches against touring sides without recognition up to and including the Argentina match.

That is why the reports mention the North and Midlands selectors. Both were involved and The North team by rights - for this and earlier matches too - should have technically been called North and Midlands. It wasn't. The Herald is right. And the reports you quote are also right, the team WAS made up of North and Midlands players selected by their districts.

The Midlands players did get equal recognition in their matches against touring sides later when 'North and Midlands' played against New Zealand in 1978 and from then on.Aedis1 (talk) 01:57, 26 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for that, a very clear explanation of the situation around the North / North & Midlands terminology and selection. --Bcp67 (talk) 07:40, 26 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]