The newly appointed British & Irish Lions tour manager for Australia in 2013, Andy Irvine, was one of nine Lions inducted into the new Scottish Rugby ‘Hall of Fame’ on Friday night.
The 51-times capped Scottish full back and wing, who played in nine Tests with the Loins on three tours, was the pick from the players of the Seventies, while legendary Lion Sir Ian McGeechan was the choice for the Noughties.
Three Lions tour captains, David Bedell-Sivright (1904), Finlay Calder (1989) and Gavin Hastings (1993) were also among eight players, whose careers stretched from before World War 1 to the modern day, who were inducted at a glittering ceremony at Murrayfield Stadium.
Former internationalsSir Ian McGeechan, John Jeffrey, John Beattie, Chris Rea and Norman Mair were given the task of selecting the ‘Hall of Fame’ members and, as well as the eight players from the prescribed eras. They also added four ‘Special Award’ winners, including triple Lions tourist Gordon Brown and former Lions player and coach Jim Telfer, to the roll of honour.
“We have been trail-blazers in many regards – whether playing and hosting the first ever rugby international in 1871, to establishing the phenomenon that is seven-a-side rugby – and it is right and proper that Scottish Rugby pays public homage to the pioneers and those who have ensured the Scottish rugby flame burns bright,” said Scottish Rugby’s Chairman, Allan Munro.
The full list of inductees is:
Pre World War 1
David Bedell-Sivright (Cambridge Uni, Edinburgh Uni ,West of Scotland,)
B&I Lions 1903, 1904
World War 1-World War 2
Phil Macpherson (Oxford University, Edinburgh Academicals)
1945-1959
Ken Scotland (Cambridge University, Heriot’s, Leicester)
B&I Lions 1959
1960s
Sandy Carmichael (West of Scotland)
B&I Lions Tours 1971, 1974
1970s
Andy Irvine (Heriot’s)
B&I Lions Tours 1974, 1977, 1980
1980s
Finlay Calder (Stewart’s-Melville FP)
B&I Lions Tour 1989
1980s
Finlay Calder (Stewart’s-Melville FP)
B&I Lions Tour 1989
1990s
Gavin Hastings (Cambridge Uni, Watsonians, London Scottish)
B&I Lions Tours 1989, 1993
2000s
Ian McGeechan (Headingley)
B&I Lions Tours 1974, 1977
B& I Lions Coach 1989, 1993, 1997, 2005, 2009
Special Award
Ned Haig
Bill McLaren
Jim Telfer
B&I Lions 1966, 1968
B&I Lions Coach 1993, 1997
Gordon Brown
B&I Lions 1971, 1974, 1977
“There are many candidates for inclusion in the Hall of Fame and clearly identifying the first 12 inductees has provoked very lively debate. It’s something that I suppose we’ve all done in our time in a rugby clubhouse, but it’s been both a huge responsibility and privilege to be involved in this process,” said John Jeffrey.
“But we also believed it was particularly important to involve Scotland supporters in establishing the Hall of Fame. Supporters voted in a poll on the Scottish Rugby website to select an era from which they would make their choice and then chose from six strong candidates.”
