Mark Sugden (11 February 1902 – 21 January 1990) was an Irish rugby union player and rugby author. An outstanding scrum half in the late 1920s and early 30s, he was captain in the 1931 season when Ireland beat England for the third successive time by a margin of a single point. His main claim to fame as a player is that he is credited with developing the dummy pass. He also played cricket for Ireland. Rugby Union career Amateur career Mark Sugden was born 11 February 1902 in Leek, Staffordshire, England, son of Frederick Sugden, silk merchant, from Staffordhire, and Frances Grace Sugden from London. Sugden was brought to Dublin at the age of four when his father retired to Westminster Road, Foxrock, and went to preparatory school at Earlsfort House before attending Denstone College, Staffordshire. He subsequently returned to Ireland to attend TCD. Sugden played rugby and cricket for Trinity, graduating BA (1926). Sugden also played rugby for Wanderers. He moved to Scotland to teach at Glenalmond College. While he was there he played for Perthshire. Provincial career Sugden played rugby for Leinster. Initially a rather average centre, his career blossomed when he was switched to scrum-half, a position in which he excelled. On moving to Scotland he played for Midlands District. He also played for the North of Scotland in a match against New South Wales Waratahs. The Waratahs were the de facto Australian national side at the time and the Australian Rugby Union have since decreed that their international matches of that tour should be taken as full tests. International career Sugden was eligible to be selected for Ireland under the residency qualification, and he made his international rugby debut at scrum-half against France in Paris on New Year's Day 1925, scoring a try in Ireland's 9–3 victory. A draw against England and a victory against Scotland ensured that Ireland finished second in the Five Nations championship that year, their best performance since 1912. His career in the Irish team coincided with one of Ireland's most successful periods at international level; although the side won no championships or triple crowns, they did win matches with a consistency that had not been a hallmark of Irish sides of the past. Sugden went on to become one of the finest scrum-halves ever to play for Ireland, and his half-back partnership with his great friend Eugene Davy (qv) is