From all of the Blog and Podcast team, Happy Christmas to you and yours and thanks for the support, listening and commenting over the last year.
In case you missed them, here are the Statvent Calendar posts we’ve been running this month (may take a while to load!). Apologies to Tom Smith as I found the bad Christmas graphics on day 2…
Statvent Calendar Number 1: Tom Smith (@TomSmith_61) – 6 consecutive test appearances for @lionsofficial (1997 & 2001). Last Scot to start a Lions Test (2001). 61 @Scotlandteam Caps. Reigning 5 Nations Championship winner. #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/JhZLOSs75y
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 1, 2019
Statvent Calendar Day 2 is: Ross Ford – Record @Scotlandteam cap holder (110). 2 tries scored in his last international start. Represented Scotland 7s at 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/XuA69mJnLH
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 2, 2019
Statvent Calendar Day 3: Geoff Cross – 40 caps. Made his debut off the bench, almost immediately taking a Welsh player out in the air. Was shown a yellow card as he was stretchered off with a concussion. He won 3 games with London Irish, a win rate of 33.333% #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/dJU5VvH1t8
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 3, 2019
Day 4: Jonny Gray – Has made 745/20 tackles for Scotland (97.2% tackle completion). Made 43 tackles in a single game for Glasgow vs Leinster in 18/19 (more than 1 tackle per 2 minutes played). First player to make over 100 tackles in a 6N campaign (2018). #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/WIuJqht0TT
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 4, 2019
Day Number 5: Doddie Weir – 61 caps for Scotland scoring 19 points (first try scored when tries were only worth 4 points). Has raised millions for research into a cure for Motor-Neurone Disease and to help those with the disease. https://t.co/QxOPqnaeDa #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/u40oDxLLau
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 5, 2019
Day 6: John Jeffrey – 40 caps for Scotland scoring 44 points in the process. Played for both Scotland & Wales at 1990 Hong Kong 7s after Welsh team suffered a number of injuries. Caused £1500 damage to the Calcutta Cup in 1988 after mistaking it for a rugby ball #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/icdypixreb
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 6, 2019
Day Number 5: Doddie Weir – 61 caps for Scotland scoring 19 points (first try scored when tries were only worth 4 points). Has raised millions for research into a cure for Motor-Neurone Disease and to help those with the disease. https://t.co/QxOPqnaeDa #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/u40oDxLLau
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 5, 2019
Day 6: John Jeffrey – 40 caps for Scotland scoring 44 points in the process. Played for both Scotland & Wales at 1990 Hong Kong 7s after Welsh team suffered a number of injuries. Caused £1500 damage to the Calcutta Cup in 1988 after mistaking it for a rugby ball #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/icdypixreb
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 6, 2019
Day 7: Hamish Watson – Beat 10 defenders in a 22 min appearance for Scotland against Wales in 2019 6N. Twice as many as managed by any other player on the park during the entire match and the most in a single game by a Scotland player in 6N history. #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/apY7vpuYfL
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 7, 2019
Day Number 8: Jade Konkel – Has scored 45 points in 40 appearances for Scotland. Scotland’s first full time professional womens player and a black belt in Goshin-Ryu Kempo #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/ikKL0FuFqI
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 8, 2019
Day 9: George Horne – Equalled Glasgow record for most tries by a player in a season in 18/19 (12). First Scotland scrum half to score a hat trick in a Test match, only the seventh scrum half in rugby history to do so. #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/K23lRrCXVT
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 9, 2019
Day 10: Finn Russell – 40 metres = the length of his perfectly weighted pass to Huw Jones against England in 2018 Calcutta Cup. 28 seconds later he passed to Sean Maitland sending him over for a try. One of 16 try assists for Scotland in last two years. #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/iKrH24EvWt
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 10, 2019
Day 11: Kenny Logan – Made 70 appearances for Scotland, scoring 220 points. Won Scottish Premiership Title with @StirlingCounty and 3 Premiership titles with @WaspsRugby. Member of last Scotland team to win 5 Nations Championship. #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/wykNwWU7f3
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 11, 2019
Day 12: Lisa Thomson – 25 points in 28 starts for Scotland. Made her international debut against England in 2016 Six Nations. Captained Scotland for the first time in November 2018 at the age of 21 #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/rASSJxUrEr
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 12, 2019
Day 13: Gregor Townsend – usually a standoff but was wearing the 13 shirt when the “Toonie flip” sent Gavin Hastings over for a try vs France in 1995. Scored a try against every side in 1999 5 Nations becoming the first player to do so for Scotland since 1925. #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/Q7cpl1KCDT
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 13, 2019
Day 14: Rhona Lloyd – Scored 45 points in 25 games for Scotland. Was previously in the top 100 in UK for 60m sprint and now plays club rugby for Loughborough Lightning. Co-hosts the "Women Who Sport" podcast #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/HnnMSastap
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 14, 2019
Day 15: Chris Paterson – Scotland record points scorer with 809: 22 tries, 90 conversions, 170 penalties. Successfully kicked 36 consecutive goals for Scotland between 11 August 2007-7 June 2008 including 100% in RWC '07 and 6N '08 #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/rOgthzRkd8
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 15, 2019
Day 16: 16 was the age of Stuart Hogg when he played in a senior 7s tournament at @Berwickrugby, as captured on film by @StuartCameronTV here: https://t.co/CPgvwlbKXm #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/l8q90OXaJc
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 16, 2019
Day 17: 17 = Number of international drop goals scored for Scotland by Dan Parks. Parks remains the top scorer of all time in the Pro12/14 with 1582 points (another Dan, Biggar, is closest on 1573). #statventcalendar #legend pic.twitter.com/VZki0le5aM
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 17, 2019
Day 18: 18 = Tries scored by hookers for since Gregor Townsend took charge. As well as a regular try-scorer, Scotland hooker and captain Stuart McInally is a qualified pilot. #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/VS4ljVWc8y
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 18, 2019
Day 19: Sean & Rory Lamont were the 19th set of siblings to appear together for Scotland. The brothers appeared together 29 times between 2005 and 2012, and scored 20 international tries across their careers. #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/yiTu8Mcmcs
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 19, 2019
Day 20: Number of international tries for Tommy Seymour in 55 appearances for Scotland before retiring from International rugby earlier this month. Tommy was eligible to play for the USA & Ire but chose Scotland – thanks Tommy! #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/LUD7VuOQY8
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 20, 2019
Day 21: Number of points scored by Ian McGeechan for Scotland over 32 appearances. McGeechan was head coach for @lionsofficial on four occasions, winning tours of Australia ('83) and South Africa ('97). #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/OGSwWLLEKA
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 21, 2019
Day 22: Number of caps Jim Teller won for Scotland. Telfer also made 23 appearances for @lionsofficial on the 1966 tour of New Zealand, and won 8 caps for @Barbarian_FC. #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/eWmNqdbbLV
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 22, 2019
(Apologies for the typo Jim!)
Day 23: Number of serving soldiers who have played for Scotland XVs since 1945. Last serving soldier to play was Mattie Stewart who left the Army to turn professional in 1997 going on to win 34 caps. Stewart continued to work for the Army in a PR role. #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/iowsXDI4kd
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 23, 2019
Day 24: Twen2y4Se7en was the name of the boy band formed in 2004 which included future international Thom Evans. The band toured as a support act for McFly, Peter Andre and Westlife. Evans returned to boyband action with Try Star in the recent #CelebrityXFactor #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/mPTql9bbTg
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 24, 2019
Day 25: Scotland won their first Grand Slam in 1925. 2020 will mark the 30th anniversary of Scotland's last Grand Slam win in 1990, so Scotland have 5 years to make a better record than 3/100. But hey, Happy Christmas to all our readers, listeners and followers! #statventcalendar pic.twitter.com/FNGHEUuYIq
— Scottish Rugby Blog ???????????????????????????? (@ScotRugbyBlog) December 25, 2019
