James Holt Marsh
{{Short description|England & Scotland international rugby union player}}
{{other people||James Marsh (disambiguation)}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = James Holt Marsh
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = James Holt Marsh
| nickname =
| birth_place = Rumworth, England
| death_place = Leigh, England
| height =
| weight =
| position = Three-quarter
| amatyears1 = 1886–90
| amatyears2 = 1890
| amatyears3 = 1890–
| amatteam1 = Edinburgh Institution F.P.
| amatteam2 = Edinburgh University
| amatteam3 = Swinton
| ru_amclubcaps =
| ru_amclubpoints =
| ru_amupdate =
| provinceyears1 = 1886–88
| provinceyears2 = 1887–89
| provinceyears3 = 1890
| province1 = Edinburgh District
| province2 = East of Scotland District
| province3 = Lancashire
| provinceapps1 =
| provincepoints1 =
| repteam1 = Scotland
| repteam2 = England
| repyears1 = 1889
| repyears2 = 1892
| repcaps1 = 2
| repcaps2 = 1
| reppoints1 = 0
| reppoints2 = 0
| ru_ntupdate =
| coachteams1 =
| coachyears1 =
| ru_coachupdate =
| school = Edinburgh Institute
| university = Edinburgh University
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1865|10|31|df=yes}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1928|8|1|1865|10|31|df=yes}}
}}
James Holt Marsh (31 October 1865 – 1 August 1928),{{cite web|url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=9uOaE7794D5UQKb58%2Fyx6w&scan=1|title=Death details at freebmd.org.uk|publisher=freebmd.org.uk|date=31 December 2011|access-date=1 January 2012}} was first a Scotland international rugby union player; and then an England international rugby union player.{{Cite web|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/england/rugby/player/871.html|title=James Marsh|publisher=ESPNscrum}} He played club rugby for Edinburgh Institution F.P., Edinburgh University and Swinton; and provincial rugby for Edinburgh District and East of Scotland District.{{cite book| first1= Graham| last1= Williams| first2= Peter| last2= Lush| first3= David| last3= Farrar| title= The British Rugby League Records Book| publisher= London League| isbn= 978-1-903659-49-6| year= 2009| page= 178}} He is the only player to have represented two international teams in the Home Nations Championship.[https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2008/nov/05/england-rugby-union-team Kitson, Robert; New England picks from all corners to take on the world] guardian.co.uk, 5 November 2008Griffiths (2000), pg 28. He was a General Practitioner by profession, holding a practice in Manchester for nearly forty years.Griffiths (1987), pg 2:7.
Rugby Union career
=Amateur career=
Born in Rumworth, near Swinton in England, Marsh was schooled in Scotland. Marsh was educated at Edinburgh Institute before being accepted at Edinburgh University to study medicine.
At the time of his Scotland call up, Marsh was playing club rugby for Edinburgh Institution F.P., and was brought in at three-quarters.{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9VlEAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9bEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5994,5223762|title=The Glasgow Herald – Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}}
He moved to play for Edinburgh University in 1890. This did not go down well with his former club and the Athletic News of 27 October 1890 reported:{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000986/18901027/005/0001|title=|via=British Newspaper Archive}}
Some rather bitter things are being said in Edinburgh about James Marsh, the Swintonian, preferring to play for Edinburgh University instead of with his old colleagues in the Edinburgh Institution Club.
This prompted a move to England that same season; and he then played for Swinton.{{cite web|url=http://en.espn.co.uk/scotland/rugby/player/871.html|title=Statistics at en.espn.co.uk (RU)|publisher=en.espn.co.uk|date=31 December 2017|access-date=1 January 2018}}
=Provincial career=
He played for Edinburgh District against Glasgow District in the 1886 inter-city match. He also played for Edinburgh in the 1887 and 1888 fixtures.
He played for East of Scotland District in their match against West of Scotland District on 29 January 1887.{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/18870131/144/0007|title=|via=British Newspaper Archive}} He also played in the 1888 and 1889 fixtures.
Almost immediately on his move to Swinton, he was playing in the Lancashire versus Yorkshire match on 29 November 1890. He was noted as an Edinburgh University three-quarter and also as playing for Swinton. Lancashire won the match.{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000986/18901201/050/0004|title=|via=British Newspaper Archive}}
After his move to England, it was during the 1890–91 season his strong club play brought him to the attention of the English selectors, and he was brought into England's annual North vs. South match.Griffiths (2000), pg 27.
=International career=
In 1889, Marsh was selected for the Scottish international team when he was chosen to face Wales as part of the 1890 Home Nations Championship. Scotland beat Wales and Marsh was reselected for the second, and final game of the competition, away to Ireland at Belfast. With England having withdrawn from the tournament, a win over the Irish would give Scotland the Home Nations, but not the Grand Slam. Scotland won the match thanks to a single dropped goal from Henry Stevenson.
His move to England and his form for Swinton led to Marsh being selected for the 1892 Home Nations Championship for England in the game against Ireland, playing again at threequarters alongside Dicky Lockwood and George Hubbard. The English team was victorious, but Marsh was not selected for the team again. It is unknown if this was due to sanctions or actions taken by the rugby unions or if it was a selection choice.
Medical career
After qualifying as a doctor, Marsh moved to Manchester to set up a medical practice.
Bibliography
- {{cite book |last=Griffiths |first=John |title=Rugby's Strangest Matches |year=2000 |publisher=Robson Books |isbn=1-86105-354-1 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/rugbysstrangestm0000grif }}
- {{cite book |last=Griffiths |first=Terry |title=The Phoenix Book of International Rugby Records |year=1987 |publisher=Phoenix House |location=London |isbn=0-460-07003-7}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marsh, James Holt}}
Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Category:Edinburgh University RFC players
Category:England international rugby union players
Category:Edinburgh District (rugby union) players
Category:Rugby union players from Greater Manchester
Category:Scotland international rugby union players
Category:Scottish rugby union players
Category:Swinton Lions players
Category:Edinburgh Institution F.P. players
Category:East of Scotland District players