Langholm is the oldest rugby club in the Scottish border area, formed in 1871 by some of its businessmen’s sons who had learned the game at boarding schools in England. The first captain was William Scott, whose father James traded iron, slates, gunpowder, seeds and whisky.
Langholm and its border rival Hawick (‘Hawick and Wilton’ club at the time) played their first rugby match in 1874, during which there was some confusion due to the clubs’ use of different rules.
Tom Scott (1875-1947), William Scott’s nephew, played 11 times for Scotland between 1896 and 1900. He was president of the Scottish Football Union (now the Scottish Rugby Union) in 1914 but the war interrupted play until 1919, when he was voted president again.
In the 1880s and 1890s, Langholm had another rugby club called Bullfield which played in a field known as Holmfoot Park, next to Holmfoot house. Both were rented by tannery owner Walter Scott (not closely related to the Scotts above), who allowed the club to use the field and was its president.
Like the Langholm Cricket Club, the Langholm Rugby Club was permitted to play on land owned by the Duke of Buccleuch.
