Biography.guide
Home › People › Rugby union player › John Douglas
Portrait of John Douglas

John Douglas

1934 – 2025

Scottish rugby union player, boxer and racehorse owner

Rugby union player Boxer Racehorse owner
Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About John Douglas

Lived 1934 – 2025 (aged 90). John Douglas was a British rugby union player, boxer, racehorse owner and rugby sevens player.

John Douglas (18 December 1934 – 5 January 2025) was a Scottish international rugby player.

Biography Douglas was educated at Stewart's Melville College in Edinburgh and first played rugby for the school XV. During his National Service he played for the B.A.O.R and when back in civilian life played for Blackheath. He returned to Scotland and played for Stewart's Melville Former Pupils RFC and Edinburgh before his first cap for Scotland in 1961. He was capped twelve times as No 8 for Scotland between 1961 and 1963.

He took part in the 1962 British Lions tour to South Africa, although not selected for any test appearances, and also for the Barbarians tours of 1961 and 1965. He was a successful Rugby Sevens player.

In later life he became a racehorse owner. His horse Rubstic won the 1979 Grand National.

His elder son Struan Douglas is a Scottish rugby league international and his younger son Nigel Douglas played rugby for Scottish School boys, premier rugby for Dundee HSRFP and district rugby for North and Midlands.

Douglas died from complications of a stroke on 5 January 2025, at the age of 90.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Stewart's Melville College

People in John Douglas's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Douglas's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John Douglas?

Scottish rugby union player, boxer and racehorse owner

When was John Douglas born?

John Douglas was born on 18 December 1934 in Woolwich.

When did John Douglas die?

John Douglas died on 5 January 2025.

What was John Douglas's occupation?

John Douglas was a rugby union player, boxer, racehorse owner and rugby sevens player.

What nationality was John Douglas?

John Douglas was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Douglas

· Wikidata: Q16095565

· DBpedia: John Douglas (rugby union)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Douglas. https://biography.guide/john-douglas-rugby-union-player/

MLA: "John Douglas." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-douglas-rugby-union-player/.

Chicago: "John Douglas." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-douglas-rugby-union-player/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:16 UTC