RUGBY STAR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 150, 27 June 1934, Page 8

RUGBY STAR.

DR. W. A. STEWART.

WINGER FOR SCOTLAND.

NOW VISITING AUCKLAND

An Australian who had the distinction of being for two years the London Scottish sprint champion, and who represented Scotland in international Rugby for the years 1012-13 in matches against England, Ireland, Wales and France, is at present in Auckland. He is Dr. W. A. Stewart, of Melbourne, who arrived in Auckland from Suva by the steamer Waipahi. Dr. Stewart readied Suva recently after an adventurous trip from Papro Pago in the small launch Viking. He went to Tago Pago from Apia to join the Monterey, but was unable to connect with the Matson liner. Dr. Stewart has the distinction of being one of the fastest wings that Scotland had known, and this without excepting the New Zealander Fell and the more recent lan Smith. He played hospital football in London, although prior to going to England ho had known only the Australian rules game. And then he was picked for Scotland to take the place of McPherson, the latter a New Zealander who was in the famous Otago University line when Gilray and Adams were at their zenith in New Zealand Rugby. An even timer on the track and 13 stone in weight, Dr. Stewart proved the outstanding 'international wing of his day. One of his achievements was to get four tries in an international match against Ireland. In a reminiscent chat on Rugby, Dr. Stewart referred to many of the great Home players of the past. His was a period when tho McLeods had gone from Scottish Rugby, when Gilray and McPherson, the talented New Zealand pair, had also gone from the side, but when England, the Calcutta Cup winners of that time, had players in the back division of the calibre of Adrian Stoop, Birkett and Poulton-Palmer, the latter one of the greatest centres of all time, who a couple of years later was to give his life in the war. One of Dr. Stewart's memories is a match between Scotland and France, at Paris, before a crowd of 30,000, when the dour Scotsmen outclassed a volatile French side to such an oxtcnt that the French spectators took umbrage and showed much feeling when the Scottish team came off the field. And now Dr. Stewart is on his way back to Melbourne. He lias retired from his profession and breeds stud sheep near Melbourne. As lie put it, he "likes to wander round and liave a look at things," which has accounted for some adventures recently in the South Seas, and his visit to Auckland on the way home.