- Date of Birth08 / 12 / 1880
- Died05 / 09 / 1915
- Lions Tours1903, 1904
- International CapsScotland / Lions
- Lions Origin SchoolsFettes College
- Lions Origin ClubsEdinburgh Wanderers, Edinburgh University, Barbarians, Fettesian-Lorettonians, West of Scotland, Cambridge University RFC
David Bedell-Sivright was one of rugby’s original enforcers after building a reputation as a fearsome competitor and leader that saw him captain the Lions in 1904.
After earning four Blues as a student at Cambridge University, the forward was honoured with his first cap in 1900 before playing every game in Scotland’s next three Home Nations Championships.
His bruising play did not escape the attention of the Lions and he toured South Africa in 1903 – where injury cruelly robbed him of a Test appearance after playing the first dozen matches.
He would return to the jersey a year later, as skipper, in Australia and New Zealand and managed one Test appearance before injury struck again, this time due to a broken leg.
He continued to lead Scotland on his return – in 1906 helping his nation rout the travelling South Africans 6-0 – before retiring from international duty with an impressive 22 caps.
An immensely colourful character, Bedell-Sivwright also became Scottish amateur champion in 1909 and completed his medicine training at the University of Edinburgh.
Sadly, his life came to an end at the age of 34 on active service as a surgeon during World War One.