| Birth name | Thomas Elliot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 6 April 1926 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Galashiels, Scotland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 3 May 1998 (aged 72) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Scottish Borders, Scotland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Loretto School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thomas Elliot MBE (6 April 1926 – 3 May 1998) was a Scotland international rugby union player.[1] His regular playing position was Prop.
Elliot was born into a farming family in the Scottish Borders.[2] He was educated at St. Mary's School, Melrose and at Loretto School, Musselburgh.[2] After school he joined Gala RFC and played for the 2XV at lock.[2] He soon moved to loose-head prop and over the next fifteen years made the position his own.[2] Early in his career he gained a reputation for rumbustious play.[3] Bill McLaren described him as "a tough rugged son of the soil".[4]
Elliot was capped by South of Scotland District.[5]
Elliot made his debut for Scotland in the 1955 Five Nations Championship.[6] Scotland beat Wales 14–8 at Murrayfield.[7] His next match against Ireland resulted in another victory at the same venue.[7] Elliot also played in a narrow 9–6 defeat to England at Twickenham.[7]
In the 1956 Five Nations Championship he played all four matches.[7] Scotland won one match against France at Murrayfield.[7] The following year Scotland won two matches in the 1957 Five Nations Championship; Elliot played in every match.[7] He played two matches in the 1958 Five Nations Championship, losing to Wales and Ireland.[7] In between he played in a 12–8 victory over Australia at Murrayfield on their 1957–58 Australia rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland and France.[7]
Elliot was selected for the 1955 British Lions tour to South Africa, alongside his compatriot and fellow prop Hugh McLeod.[3] If it were not for the outstanding Meredith brothers from Wales, they would have played in the Test matches.[2][3] As it was Elliot played eight of the midweek games.[3] He also played for the Barbarian F.C.[3]
Elliot had farming interests in the Borders and Sutherland.[3] He was a former president of the Selkirk branch of the National Farmers Union of Scotland, and former president of the Borders area.[3] His animals often won championships at the Royal Highland Show near Edinburgh, of which he became a director.[3] Elliot was also a past president of the Cheviot Sheep Society, member of the government's Hill Farming Advisory Committee and a director of the Moredun Foundation.[3] For his contributions to farming he was awarded an MBE in 1989.[2]