Bruce Thomson (rugby union)

Bruce Thomson (19 November 1930 – 13 January 2020) was a Scotland international rugby union player. Thomson played as a Prop. He was also a noted bagpiper.

Bruce Thomson

Birth name	Bruce Ewan Thomson
Date of birth	(1930-11-19)19 November 1930
Place of birth	Assam, British India
Date of death	13 January 2020(2020-01-13) (aged 89)
Place of death	Crieff, Scotland
Rugby union career
Position(s) Prop Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) Oxford University () – London Scottish () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1953 Scotland 3 (0)

Rugby union career

Amateur career

Thomson played rugby for Oxford University. He later played rugby for London Scottish.

International career

Thomson was capped for Scotland 3 times in 1953.

Outside of rugby

Medical career

Thomson became a doctor, working as a GP in Horsham, Sussex.

Bagpipes

Thomson learned the bagpipes at Aberdeen Grammar School.

After school he joined the army where he was taught by Pipe Major Donald McLeod. He composed more than 450 bagpipe tunes and performed for the Queen. He was influenced by Seumas MacNeill, Pipe Major Brian McRae and the members of The Royal Scottish Pipers Society.

Thomson published several books of his bagpipe tunes.

Later life and death

Thomson later retired to Crieff, Perthshire. He died there on 13 January 2020, at the age of 89.