Over the nearly 150 years since Angus Buchanan helped win the first international rugby match, discussing Scottish rugby has become one of several covert identifiers for wizards meeting in front of Muggles and seeking to establish each other’s credentials.
-- Essays by Rowling
Rugby is a Muggle team sport played with an oval-shaped ball, and which has a surprising number of wizarding world fans (Essays by Rowling, Pm).
Scottish Rugby
Angus Buchanan, author of “My Life as a Squib” (published 1900), became a famous Scottish rugby player.
Thanks to Buchanan, wizards around the world support Scotland for the sport of rugby, whereas they support their own countries for other sports. The wizard fan club is called the Wizarding Supporters of Scottish Rugby Union (W.S.S.R.U.).
Talking about Scottish rugby or Angus Buchanan is a coded way for wizards to identify other wizards when mixing with Muggles (Essays by Rowling, Pm).
Other appearances
Ron Weasley “rugby-tackled” Mundungus Fletcher when he tried to get away (DH11).
Commentary
Notes
The Muggle sport of rugby:
- Wikipedia: Rugby Union
- The Scottish Rugby governing body
- BBC Sport: Scottish Rugby Union
From the Web
Writing by J.K. Rowling on WizardingWorld (Pottermore): Scottish Rugby
Harry Potter Wiki: Scottish rugby team
WizardingWorld (Pottermore) features: Everything you need to know about Squibs
