Brian Shillinglaw

Robert Brian Shillinglaw (1 July 1939 – 17 October 2007), also known by the nickname of "Shill", was a Scottish rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s.^[2] He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Scotland, and at club level for Gala RFC, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Other Nationalities, and at club level for Whitehaven, Wigan and Leigh. Shillinglaw served with the King's Own Scottish Borderers.^[3]

Brian Shillinglaw

Personal information
Full name	Robert Brian Shillinglaw
Born	(1939-07-01)1 July 1939[1] Scotland
Died	17 October 2007(2007-10-17) (aged 68)[1] Melrose, Scottish Borders, Scotland
Playing information
Rugby union
Position	Scrum-half
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P Gala RFC 65 14 2 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1960–61 Scotland 5 0 0 0 0
Rugby league
Position	Scrum-half
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1961–62 Whitehaven 1962–65 Wigan 42 25 0 0 75 1966/67–66/67 Leigh 3 0 0 0 0 Total 45 25 0 0 75 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1965 Other Nationalities 1
Source: ESPN

Playing career

Rugby union

He was capped five times for Scotland in 1960–61.^[2] He also played for Gala RFC,^[2] for whom he played sixty five times, scoring fourteen tries.^[4]

Rugby league

Shillinglaw transferred to Whitehaven in 1961.^[2] He was then signed by Wigan in 1962 for a transfer fee of £5,500. He went on to score 25 tries in 42 appearances for Wigan.^[5] Shillinglaw also played for Leigh.^[4]

Shillinglaw represented Other Nationalities (RL) while at Wigan, he played scrum-half in the 2–19 defeat by St. Helens at Knowsley Road, St. Helens on Wednesday 27 January 1965, to mark the switching-on of new floodlights.^[6]

Personal life

Shillinglaw was a bricklayer by trade, and was offered the sum of £5,000 to defect to rugby league for Whitehaven in 1961 (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £233,100 in 2016).^[4][7]

Death

Shillinglaw died aged 68 in Borders General Hospital, Melrose, Scottish Borders.^[4]

References

1. "Brian Shillinglaw". The Herald. Glasgow: Herald & Times Group. 7 November 2007. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
2. Bath, Richard (2007). The Scotland rugby miscellany. London: VSP. p. 88. ISBN 1-905326-24-6.
3. "Army Rugby Union ~ International Caps". armyrugbyunion.org.uk. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
4. "The code-jumper who left his heart in Gala". The Southern Reporter. Johnston Press. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
5. Latham, Michael; Gate, Robert (1992). They played for Wigan. Adlington: Mike R.L. p. 24. ISBN 978-0951609828.
6. Cook, H.B. (1965). Programme - St. Helens versus Other Nationalities. St. Helens Rugby F.C. Ltd.
7. "Measuring Worth – Relative Value of UK Pounds". Measuring Worth. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.

External links

• Brian Shillinglaw at ESPNscrum
• Statistics at wigan.rlfans.com