Nickname(s) Co-Ops | Date founded 1924 | |
The Co-Optimist Rugby Club is an invitational rugby union club founded in 1924 by Jock Wemyss, the former Scottish test player, together with George St Claire Murray, a rugby enthusiast from the Watsonians club.
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The Co-Optimists have played against national fifteen-a-side teams including France, Ireland and Zimbabwe in the 1980s. The club also has a proud record at the Hong Kong Sevens tournament, finishing as runner-up to Fiji in 1980, as a semi-finalist against Australia in 1981, and a quarter-finalist in 1986.
The club won the Melrose Sevens tournament in 1993.
Club colours and emblem
The club colours are a navy blue jersey with white shorts and navy and white hooped socks. The Co-Optimist badge is a lion couchant in blue on a white background.
Notable players
Many well-known international players have represented the club including: Finlay Calder, Jonathan Davies, Mike Gibson, Gavin Hastings, Scott Hastings, Andy Irvine, Dickie Jeeps, John Jeffrey, Tom Kiernan, Ian McGeechan, Tony O’Reilly and Rob Wainwright.