William Hutchinson (rugby union)
- Not to be confused with the rugby union footballer of the 1870s for England, and Hull, William Henry Heap Hutchinson (1849-1929)
- Not to be confused with the rugby league player of the 1930s and 1940s for England, and Bradford Northern, William Hutchinson (rugby league)
| Full name | William Charles Hutchinson | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1856 | ||
| Date of death | 1880 | ||
| Rugby union career | |||
| Playing career | |||
| Position | Halfback | ||
| Professional / senior clubs | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| RIE College RFC | |||
| National team(s) | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 1876-1877 |  England |
2 | Goals:0; Tries:2 |
William Hutchinson (1856–1880) was a rugby union international who represented England from 1876 to 1877.[1][1]
Early life
William Hutchinson was born on 1856 in .[1]
Rugby union career
Hutchinson attended and played his club rugby for the Royal Indian Engineering College (Cooper's Hill). He was selected to play for England in 1876 and made his international debut on 6 March 1876 at The Oval in the England vs Scotland match.[1] His debut was described as "a very brilliant first appearance" and he was described as a first-rate half-back, a quick starter, with a very fair amount of pace, an unselfish player, and good tackle.[2] His second and final match was on 5 February 1877 at The Oval in the England vs Ireland match.[1] This match was the first international to be played with fifteen a-side, making Hutchinson one of the few players to have played international matches in both 20 and 15 a-side eras. Eight minutes into the match Hutchinson ran in for a try and later scored again,[2] making him England's record try scorer at that point.
Hutchinson's military career was to take him to India and it was this which curtailed his rugby playing career. Whilst in India, he died in 1880.[2]