Scotland Rugby League send on their condolences for Vic Semple (and family), on behalf of many of their former International players, coach and managements at all levels; Scotland Men, A, Students, U19s and U16s –  as well as Scotland Rugby League.

Scotland Rugby League has been sent many messages of thanks and condolences for Vic, from former players and officials based all over the world.

Vic Semple a well-known face in Rugby League Circles from his years of service at Carlise, Workington Town and most recently Whitehaven, sadly, recently passed away (with funeral arrangements set for Monday 16^th August).

Vic was one of those volunteers that every organisation would want, he first started out after completing his playing days in the game for local sides in Cumbria and with Carlisle, in a time before physios and rehab support staff, Vic officially offered the old fashioned ‘wet sponge’ / first aid support and strapping capability, to get many a player though various International contests for Scotland Rugby League. On the first team sheets for Scotland, the official term was a ‘strapper’ but Vic was much more than this to Scotland Rugby League.

Vic was involved at the beginning of some of the early meetings that began the journey to form the National Governing Body for Scotland Rugby League around 1994/1995… after the Scotland Students Rugby League had originally paved the way for Scotland. Vic was on the management team for the Emerging Nations tournament in 1995, which mixed together student, amateur and professional players from Scotland. He later went on to support numerous International Managements and Coaching teams for Scotland, over a 10 year period of service up until 2004 that saw Scotland Rugby League blossom into a governing body with a number of International sides and its own domestic competition. During that time he represented Scotland Rugby League in’ Fiji, Ireland, Wales, France, Russia, Serbia, Italy, Netherlands, Germany amongst countless occasions in Scotland and England.

Vic was simply one of those good guys to have in your corner, well liked and respected – a willing and proud volunteer to represent Scotland Rugby League.

When many former International players and coaches/managers were asked recently about Vic there was a common thought, reaction and theme…

When you think of Vic – you just can’t help but smile

Vic had time for people and had a great sense of humour and his erudite views on Rugby League and all things around it will be missed. He was always in  the engine room of things at International events and games for Scotland, encouraging, positive and helped create great atmospheres both on and off the field, helping guide many touring parties from Scotland R.L on their first adventures in the code.

Vic was a fantastic tourist helping create and develop International camaraderie via Rugby League, as some of these early Scotland tours helped create  the spark in a number of other nations to take up the code of Rugby League- Cheers Marra!