Dave Hilton

On Grannygate and the belated South Africa game Hilton was to explain: "I had a lot of friends in the game, even journalists, who knew I was honest and hard working on the pitch and that encouraged me to try to get another cap. It was natural, too, because I felt Scottish. I’d got two England U21 caps but it was just like playing for any other team and I thought ‘this is not for me.’ It took to 2002 until I was cleared to play for Scotland again and I won my 42nd cap against South Africa at Murrayfield.

In 2012 Hilton joined Moseley as forwards coach and occasional replacement prop, having previously been coach at Dings Crusaders. Dave also coaches Clifton RFC Under 14's, who in the 2016/17 season won the Gloucester County Cup (joint winners with Old Patesians), The Nando's Cup, The Bristol Combination 7s Cup and were Finalists in the Bristol Combination Cup.

After being capped for Scotland on residency criteria he continued to play for Glasgow until 2003 before then returning to the English West Country to play for Bristol, until his retirement in 2008.

Hilton had already moved from Bath to Glasgow to play for Glasgow Caledonians, now Glasgow Warriors, a year before the scandal broke so he had already a period of residence in Scotland. He had then to complete another two years in order to qualify again for Scotland under the 3-year residency rule. After that period of residency Hilton played once more for Scotland in a victory over South Africa in 2002.

However, in 2000 - and after 41 caps for Scotland - Hilton discovered his grandfather's birth was registered in Bristol and not Edinburgh as he believed. Hilton stated that his grandfather was born 16 weeks before the Bristol registration but he could not prove whether or not his grandfather was born in Scotland. Without adequate documentation he did not qualify to play for Scotland under the international eligibility rules.

During his club career, Hilton won the Heineken Cup for Bath in 1998, as well as league and domestic cup successes for the same club.

He gained his first cap for the Scotland against Canada on 21 January 1991 and his 42nd and final cap against South Africa on 16 November 2002. Hilton originally believed he qualified for Scotland as his grandfather was born there.

Dave Hilton (born 3 April 1970 in Bristol, England) is an English-born former Scotland international rugby union player. He was capped 42 times for the Scotland national rugby union team. In his club career he played for Bath Rugby, Glasgow Warriors and Bristol. His position of choice is as a prop.