Douglas Elliot

Who was Douglas Elliot?

Douglas Elliot also known as W.I.D. Elliot and Doug Elliot is a former Scottish international rugby union player, who played for Scotland. He was capped 29 times for Scotland between 1947-54. He was never dropped, but did spend at least six matches away due to injuries including the whole 1953 seasons. He was six feet three inches and over fourteen stone.

He was a backrow forward, and has also been inducted to the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame.

He was one of the few Scottish players to escape untarnished by the 44-0 defeat by South Africa during the period. Elliot was the only Scot to be named by the South African rugby correspondent R.K. Stent amongst the best players who had faced the 1951-2 Springbok tour to the British Isles.

Allan Massie talking of the 1950s, said:

"Elliot was my first Rugby hero, and for a long time in the Fifties, he was the only one a Scots boy could have... the Scottish sides he played in, especially in the Fifties, gave him little chance to display his attacking abilities. All the same, match reports of the time make frequent mention of Elliot bursting from the line-out to run thirty yards...