1877–78 Scottish Districts season

The Inter-City match was won by a drop goal.[1]

After last season's defeat at the hands of Edinburgh District, the East of Scotland District decided to play its own trial match to better determine its players for the upcoming match against Edinburgh. The East of Scotland, at the time, picked its players from four leading teams in the area: Aberdeenshire RFC; Abertay RFC; Red Cross Dundee RFC; and St Andrew's University RFC.

The original intention was for the trial match was to be played at Guthrie Junction between an Aberdeenshire/Red Cross side and an Abertay/St Andrew's University side. St Andrew's University were unwilling to go further north than Dundee for the game; and as a result the Aberdeenshire side did not travel south. Instead the 'north' team was Red Cross with a couple of Perth men; and the 'south' team was Abertay/St Andrew's University.

In the match, C. Williams of the Red Cross/Perth side thought he had scored a try, but this was disputed and a try was not given. The match ended without a score.[2]

The East v Edinburgh match was due to be played on 12 January 1878 but was called off the night before, due to frost in the south.[3] It was played instead on 9 February 1878;[4] it ended without a score.[5][6]

This was the first year that a dedicated 'Trial match' for international selection was announced: a 'Blues' trial side were to play a 'Whites' trial side.[7]