Obituary: Ian Lumsden

Born in Edinburgh in 1923, Ian James Michael Lumsden made his debut for the Scotland rugby team in the first Five Nations Championship match after the Second World War, in France in Paris on New Year’s Day 1947.

He was at stand-off that day but was also an accomplished full-back during club rugby with both Watsonians and Bath. He captained both Bath and the Somerset County XV in 1946-47 and was fondly remembered both at home and in the west country.

He won seven caps for Scotland, playing two matches in the 1947 Championship, a Test against Australia later that year (at full-back) and all the games in the 1949 competition, again at full-back. He was in the winning XV on two occasions – against France and Wales in 1949.

In cricket, he won nine caps for Scotland as a middle-order batsman between 1946 and 1949, achieving half centuries (66 and 53) in both innings in a drawn match with Warwickshire in July 1948.

A doctor by profession, he emigrated to Australia and died aged 85 in Mosman Park, Perth, Western Australia in August 2008.

We learned of his death earlier this month and wish to pay tribute to his service to rugby in Scotland.

Ian Lumsden is pictured second from the left in the back-row, Scotland v Wales, 1949.