A. G. G. Asher

Sir Augustus Gordon Grant-Asher CBE (18 December 1861 – 15 June 1930)^[1][2] was a Scotland international rugby union player.^[3] He also represented Scotland as a cricket player.^[4]

Sir
Augustus Grant-Asher
CBE

Birth name	Augustus Gordon Grant-Asher
Date of birth	(1861-12-18)18 December 1861
Place of birth	Poona, British India^[1]
Date of death	15 June 1930(1930-06-15) (aged 68)
Place of death	Kingussie, Scotland
Rugby union career
Position(s) Half-back Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) - 1885 1886 Oxford University Edinburgh Wanderers Fettesian-Lorettonians () Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 1885 1886 Edinburgh District East of Scotland District () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1882–86 Scotland 7 (2gls, 1 try)
50th President of the Scottish Rugby Union
In office 1929–1930
Preceded by	David McCowan
Succeeded by	Andrew Balfour

Rugby Union career

Amateur career

Grant-Asher went to Loretto School, and went up to Brasenose College, Oxford after that.^[5]

He played for Oxford University RFC,^[4] as well as the Fettesian-Lorettonian Club, and Edinburgh Wanderers.^[1]

Provincial career

He was capped by Edinburgh District for the inter-city match in 1885 while with Edinburgh Wanderers.^[6]

He was capped by East of Scotland District for their match against West of Scotland District. This was at the end of January 1886; and he was now with Fettesian-Lorettonians.^[7]

International career

One of the earliest Scottish players, he was capped 7 times for Scotland between 1882 and 1886.^[4] He played at half back.^[1][8]

R.J. Phillips, the first historian of Scottish rugby said:

"no one has arisen to bear comparison with A.R. Don Wauchope at quarter or half back, where he and A.G.G. Asher still hold claim as the greatest pair to have played together for their country."^[9]

Administrative career

He was president of the Scottish Rugby Union from 1929 to 1930.^[1]

Cricket career

At Oxford, he played in 10 first-class cricket matches for the Oxford University team in 1883 and 1884, winning a Blue for cricket in 1883.^[10] He also played for the Scotland national cricket team.^[1][4]

Other sports

He also won the Scottish pole vault championship in 1885, and 1886.^[11][1]

Law career

In later life he was a Writer to the Signet.^[1]

Honours

He was appointed CBE in the 1918 Birthday Honours^[12] and knighted in the 1927 Birthday Honours.^[13]

Death

He is buried in the churchyard of Insh Church, Kincraig, near Kingussie, Highland.^[2]

See also

• List of Scottish cricket and rugby union players

References

1. Godwin, p30
2. "Sir Augustus Gordon Grant Asher C.B.E. 1861 - 1930 BillionGraves Record". BillionGraves.
3. "Augustus Gordon Grant-Asher". ESPN scrum.
4. Bath, p104
5. ASHER, Sir Augustus Gordon Grant, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2016 (online edition, Oxford University Press, 2014)
6. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001055/18851207/044/0004 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)^{[dead link]}
7. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001964/18860130/038/0003 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)^{[dead link]}
8. "Rugby Union - ESPN Scrum - Statsguru - Player analysis - Augustus Grant-Asher - Test matches". ESPN scrum.
9. Massie, p10
10. "Player profile: Augustus Asher". CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
11. Scottish Athletics 1883-1983, John W. Keddie (1982)
12. "No. 30730". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 June 1918. p. 6687.
13. "No. 33280". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 May 1927. p. 3603.

Sources

1. Bath, Richard (ed.) The Scotland Rugby Miscellany (Vision Sports Publishing Ltd, 2007 ISBN 1-905326-24-6)
2. Godwin, Terry Complete Who's Who of International Rugby (Cassell, 1987, ISBN 0-7137-1838-2)
3. Massie, Allan A Portrait of Scottish Rugby (Polygon, Edinburgh; ISBN 0-904919-84-6)