This is the real reason why the Scottish national rugby team is nicknamed the ‘Thistles’

Published on August 12, 2023 at 10:00 AM by Sharleen McAleavy

France and Scotland will compete again on Saturday, August 12, as part of their preparations for the upcoming Rugby World Cup.

The world of rugby is full of traditions and symbols. England’s Three Lions, Ireland’s Wolfhounds, and… Scotland’s Thistles are no exception! Ranked fifth in the world of rugby, Gregor Townsend’s team will take on France this weekend. Scotland, as well as being a historic nation of the sport, is also one with a nickname. From historical origins to cultural impact, with a hint of urban legend, let’s trace back the origins of Scotland’s famous ‘Thistle’.

The ‘legendary’ origins of thistle

A little history never hurts. Well, the word ‘mythology’ is probably more appropriate here. Why is the thistle, a prickly plant, the nickname of this Scottish rugby team? It has a symbolic aspect after a more or less true episode of war. As the specialist website VisitScotland attests, a legend is one of its origins. It reads:

Legend has it that a group of sleeping Scottish warriors were saved from ambush by an invading Nordic army when one of their enemies stepped on the spiky plant. Its anguished cry awakened the sleeping warriors, who defeated the invader and adopted the thistle as their national symbol.

Could it be that clumsy Vikings gave birth to one of Scotland’s most powerful symbols? There’s not enough proof, but it’s still ‘a good story’, says the specialist site.

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A true symbol that has stood the test of time

After the legend, come the facts. Because every symbol has its obscure foundations. Take the city of Rome for example, which sacralizes the famous She-wolf who is said to have taken in the creators of the future capital, Romulus and Remus. The former logo of the AS Roma football club even features the famous carnivore suckling two cherubs… Even today, it’s hard to say whether the legend is true or not.

The same goes for our famous thistle. But never mind, the plant later became an official symbol, as Anecsport aptly summed up:

The thistle became the emblem of Scotland, and as early as the 15th century, coins from this nation were engraved with this flower on the back.

Let’s talk swords and shields from now on. The Order of the Thistle, founded by James II in 1687, is an order of chivalry that honors ‘those who have worked particularly hard for Scotland’. The Order’s fiefdom is in Edinburgh, in St. Giles Cathedral. The symbol is also found throughout Scottish society. The local police force wears the Thistle emblem on its logo, and the plant can also be found on store fronts and the walls of old administrative buildings.

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Scotland vs France, a historic duel

On Saturday, August 12, France and Scotland will clash for the 102nd time in their history. A historic duality which began in January 1910 and which has still not been settled. In fact, of the hundred or so matches played between the two great rugby nations, Les Bleus have won 58 times, while the Thistles have 40 successes. In the course of their many encounters, there have also been three draws.

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This article has been translated from Gentside FR.

Sources used:

VisitScotland: Scotland’s National Flower

Anecsport: Pourquoi l’emblème du XV de l’Écosse est-il le chardon ?