A. G. G. Asher

{{Short description|Scotland international rugby union player & cricketer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}

{{Use British English|date=September 2012}}

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Sir Augustus Grant-Asher{{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE}}

| image =

| birth_name = Augustus Gordon Grant-Asher

| birth_date = {{birth date|1861|12|18|df=y}}

| birth_place = Poona, British India

| height =

| weight =

| ru_position = Half-back

| amatyears1 =

| amatyears2 = 1885

| amatyears3 = 1886

| amatteam1 = Oxford University

| amatteam2 = Edinburgh Wanderers

| amatteam3 = Fettesian-Lorettonians

| years1 =

| apps1 =

| points1 =

| provinceyears1 = 1885

| provinceyears2 = 1886

| province1 = Edinburgh District

| province2 = East of Scotland District

| provinceapps1 =

| provincepoints1 =

| repyears1 = 1882–86

| repteam1 = Scotland

| repcaps1 = 7

| reppoints1 =

| death_date = {{death date and age|1930|6|15|1861|12|18|df=y}}

| death_place = Kingussie, Scotland

| module2 = {{Infobox officeholder | embed = yes

| office = President of the Scottish Rugby Union

| term_start = 1929

| term_end = 1930

| predecessor = David McCowan

| successor = Andrew Balfour

| prior_term =

| order = 50th

}}

}}

Sir Augustus Gordon Grant-Asher {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE}} (18 December 1861 – 15 June 1930)Godwin, p30{{Cite web|url=https://billiongraves.com/grave/Augustus-Gordon-Grant-Asher/9946730|title=Sir Augustus Gordon Grant Asher C.B.E. 1861 - 1930 BillionGraves Record|website=BillionGraves}} was a Scotland international rugby union player.{{Cite web|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/scotland/rugby/player/598.html|title=Augustus Gordon Grant-Asher|website=ESPN scrum}} He also represented Scotland as a cricket player.Bath, p104

Rugby Union career

=Amateur career=

Grant-Asher went to Loretto School, and went up to Brasenose College, Oxford after that.[http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U205401 ASHER, Sir Augustus Gordon Grant], Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2016 (online edition, Oxford University Press, 2014)

He played for Oxford University RFC, as well as the Fettesian-Lorettonian Club, and Edinburgh Wanderers.

=Provincial career=

He was capped by Edinburgh District for the inter-city match in 1885 while with Edinburgh Wanderers.{{Cite news |date=7 December 1885 |title=Football |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001055/18851207/044/0004 |url-access=subscription |access-date=1 August 2024 |work=The Sportsman |pages=4}}

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.{{Cite news |date=30 January 1886 |title=Rugby Rules |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001964/18860130/038/0003 |url-access=subscription |access-date=1 August 2024 |work=Glasgow Evening Post |pages=3}}

=International career=

One of the earliest Scottish players, he was capped 7 times for {{nrut|Scotland}} between 1882 and 1886. He played at half back.{{Cite web|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/statsguru/rugby/player/598.html|title=Rugby Union - ESPN Scrum - Statsguru - Player analysis - Augustus Grant-Asher - Test matches|website=ESPN scrum}}

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."Massie, p10

=Administrative career=

He was president of the Scottish Rugby Union from 1929 to 1930.

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.{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/27/27537/27537.html | title = Player profile: Augustus Asher| publisher = CricketArchive | accessdate = 3 March 2013}} He also played for the Scotland national cricket team.

Other sports

He also won the Scottish pole vault championship in 1885, and 1886.Scottish Athletics 1883-1983, John W. Keddie (1982)

Law career

In later life he was a Writer to the Signet.

Honours

He was appointed CBE in the 1918 Birthday Honours{{London Gazette |issue=30730 |supp=y |date=4 June 1918 |page=6687}} and knighted in the 1927 Birthday Honours.{{London Gazette |issue=33280 |supp=y |date=31 May 1927 |page=3603}}

Death

He is buried in the churchyard of Insh Church, Kincraig, near Kingussie, Highland.

See also

References

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=Sources=