View source for Andy Nicol

{{Short description|Scotland international rugby union player}}
{{for-multi|the judge|Andrew Nicol (judge)|the film director|Andrew Niccol}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name               = Andy Nicol
| image              =
| birth_name         = Andrew Douglas Nicol
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1971|3|12|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Dundee]], Scotland
| height             = {{height|ft=5|in=11}}
| weight             = 
| ru_currentposition = 
| ru_currentteam     = 
| position           = [[Scrum-half (rugby union)|Scrum-half]]
| amatyears1         = 1990–1999
| amatteam1          = [[Dundee HSFP]]
| years1             = 1997–1999
| years2             = 1999–2003
| clubs1             = [[Bath Rugby|Bath]]
| clubs2             = [[Glasgow Warriors]]
| apps1              = 
| apps2              = 66
| points1            = 
| points2            = 37
| provinceyears1     = 
| province1          = [[North and Midlands]]
| provinceapps1      = 
| provincepoints1    = 
| repyears1          = 1991
| repyears2          = 1992–2002
| repteam1           = [[Scotland B national rugby union team|Scotland 'B']]
| repteam2           = {{nrut|Scotland}}
| repcaps1           = 2
| repcaps2           = 23
| reppoints1         = 0
| reppoints2         = 9
| repsevensyears1    = 
| repsevenscomp1     = 
}}

'''Andrew Douglas Nicol''' (born 12 March 1971) is a former [[Scotland national rugby union team|Scotland]] international [[rugby union]] player. A [[Scrum-half (rugby union)|scrum-half]], Nicol won 23 [[Cap (sport)|caps]] for [[Scotland national rugby union team|Scotland]] and had brief spells as a replacement on two [[British & Irish Lions]] tours.

==Rugby Union career==

===Amateur career===

Nicol was born on 12 March 1971 in [[Dundee]] and educated at the [[High School of Dundee]] and Dundee Institute of Technology (now [[Abertay University]]). He played for [[Dundee HSFP]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000564/19901203/286/0014?browse=true|title = }}</ref>

===Provincial and professional career===

In the amateur era Nicol played for [[North and Midlands]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000564/19901203/286/0014?browse=true|title = }}</ref>

When the game turned professional Nicol played for [[Bath Rugby|Bath]]. As captain of [[Bath Rugby|Bath]], he was the first British player to lift the [[Heineken Cup]], when they defeated [[CA Brive|Brive]] in 1998.<ref>{{cite news
 |url          = http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/17106.php
 |title        = The Third Heineken Cup Final
 |publisher    = epcrugby.com
 |date         = 31 January 1998
 |access-date   = 24 February 2017
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20161026005039/http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/17106.php
 |archive-date = 26 October 2016
 |url-status     = dead
}}</ref>

In 1999 Nicol moved from Bath to Glasgow Warriors. He made his competitive debut for the Glasgow provincial side on 3 September 1999, playing an away match against [[Pontypridd RFC|Pontypridd]] in the [[Welsh-Scottish League]]. He became [[List of Glasgow Warriors players|Glasgow Warrior No. 65]].

Nicol retired at the end of the 2002–03 season,<ref>{{cite news|title=Andy Nicol set to retire|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/story/45464.html|publisher=ESPNscrum|date=11 March 2003}}</ref>

===International career===

Nicol played for Scotland 'B' against France 'B' on 2 March 1991; he played for the 'B' side again against Ireland 'B' on 28 December 1991.

Nicol made his debut for Scotland in 1992 against [[England national rugby union team|England]]. Over 10 years he won 23 caps for Scotland, a period when he faced strong competition for selection from scrum halves [[Gary Armstrong (rugby)|Gary Armstrong]] and [[Bryan Redpath]]. He never played in a World Cup, not being selected in 1991 and 1999, and being injured in 1995.

Nicol captained Scotland in 2000 when Scotland beat England 19–13 at a rain-soaked [[Murrayfield Stadium|Murrayfield]] and so prevented England from achieving the [[Grand Slam (Rugby Union)|Grand Slam]].

Nicol was a replacement on the [[1993 British Lions tour to New Zealand]], when he appeared in one game, playing six minutes. He was also called up as a late replacement for the Lions on their [[2001 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia|2001 tour]], replacing [[Austin Healey]], whilst on holiday in Australia. In total he spent seven days with the Lions across two tours.

===Coaching career===

Nicol managed a Scottish-based sevens team, Bone Steelers, at the Dubai 7s from 2004 until 2006 and again in 2009.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

==Other interests==

On 16 February 2007, Nicol was defeated in the [[Rector (academia)|Rectorial election]] at the [[University of Dundee]]. Former British Ambassador [[Craig Murray]] was duly elected Lord Rector with 632 votes to Nicol's 582. He was awarded an honorary degree by Abertay University in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.abertay.ac.uk/news/2013/sir-mervyn-king-to-receive-honorary-degree |title=Sir Mervyn King to receive honorary degree |access-date=12 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612163115/https://www.abertay.ac.uk/news/2013/sir-mervyn-king-to-receive-honorary-degree |archive-date=12 June 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Nicol is a commentator for BBC Sport.

== References ==

{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=4369 Sporting Heroes Profile]
* {{ESPNscrum|11131}}
* [http://www.lionsrugby.com/6012.php?player=2662&includeref=dynamic Lions profile]

{{British and Irish Lions 1993}}
{{British and Irish Lions 2001}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicol, Andy}}
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People educated at the High School of Dundee]]
[[Category:Alumni of Abertay University]]
[[Category:Scottish rugby union players]]
[[Category:British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Scotland]]
[[Category:Rugby union scrum-halves]]
[[Category:Glasgow Warriors players]]
[[Category:Bath Rugby players]]
[[Category:Scottish rugby union coaches]]
[[Category:Scotland international rugby union players]]
[[Category:Dundee HSFP players]]
[[Category:Scotland international rugby sevens players]]
[[Category:Male rugby sevens players]]
[[Category:Rugby union players from Dundee]]

{{Scotland-rugbyunion-bio-1970s-stub}}