| Birth name | John Robert Stephen Innes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 16 September 1917 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Aberdeen, Scotland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 21 January 2012 (aged 94) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Aberdeen, Scotland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University of Aberdeen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 87th President of the Scottish Rugby Union | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 1973–1974 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Alfred Wilson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Charlie Drummond | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Donny Innes (16 September 1917 – 21 January 2012) was a Scotland international rugby union player and a doctor who worked as a general practitioner (GP).[1]
Innes was born on 16 September 1917 in Aberdeen Scotland. His father was a physician and his mother a GP.[2]
While studying medicine at the University of Aberdeen, he played for the Aberdeen University rugby union side. His pre-war Scotland caps came with the university side.[3]
He played for Aberdeen GSFP.[4]
He was a notable rugby sevens player and led the Co-Optimists to victory in the Murrayfield Sevens tournament in 1939.[3] He played sevens with Aberdeen Nomads that same year.
He was capped for the combined North of Scotland District side in 1935 while only a teenager, playing against a touring New Zealand side.[3]
He was capped for the standalone North of Scotland District He scored a try against Midlands District in 1947.[5]
He made the Scotland Probables side in December 1947.[6]
He was capped 8 times for Scotland.[7] He was one of only 5 Scotland internationalists who played before and after the second World War.[3]
He also played in 5 services International matches during the war; and the Victory international against England at Twickenham in 1946.[4]
He refereed the Blues Trial match against Whites Trial in the 1951–52 season.[8]
He was on the committee of North and Midlands. He was the Scottish Rugby Union president from 1973–74. He became the Aberdeen GSFP president in 1991.[3]
He was commissioned into the Royal Army Medical Corps as an officer.[4] He saw active service with the 155 and 156 Field Ambulance companies attached to the 52 Lowland Division. When the war finished he was at the rank of Major.[3]
He continued with the military after the war in the Territorial Army.[3]
Innes completed his medical training as a doctor in 1940. He completed his residency at Woodend and Foresterhill Hospitals. He became a GP after the war at a practice in Rubislaw Terrace. He became a medical officer for HM Prison Craiginches in 1949 until he retired. He was present at Scotland's last execution in 1963.[3]
Innes died in Aberdeen on 21 January 2012 at the age of 94.[9]