Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Images. McLaren died on 19 January 2010 at the age of 86 in his home town of Hawick. Which brings us to the next quote. Gerald Davies was capped for Wales as a centre in 1966. At the East Fortune sanatorium inEast Lothian, he was selected as one offive patients to take part in trials for anew antibiotic, streptomycin. Here is McLarens summary: Im sure youre familiar with Bambi, the baby deer with gangly legs. Known as 'the voice of rugby', he retired from commentating in 2002. Here is McLaren watching a young Beaumont packing down: And theres Beaumont in that English scrum looking like a man who enjoys his food. You can use our stories in a structured programme. He stood 66 and carried a huge frame. @Rich am not sure could be Jones, or @Brendan could be Phil Bennet or Gerald Davies who could also jink. We showed earlier that McLaren had a ready quip about him and his brother. His charging runs may be what Maclaren is referring to in the quote. Loading interface. Appointed CBE in 2003, he is survived by Bette and his daughter Linda. The All Blacks that day looked like great prophets of doom. Rugby for orchestra and full voice, and nobody made a sound quite like Bill McLaren. He said: I had the pleasure of co-commentating with him and learning from one of the best commentators the sport has ever seen or heard. Here is McLaren on two sturdy brothers who were giants of Welsh rugby in more ways than one. The Bill McLaren Foundation, a charity which exists to develop and promote rugby union and sporting opportunities, was launched at Murrayfield Stadium on 4 March 2010. He was used as a forward spotter, and on one occasion was confronted by a mound of 1,500 corpses in an Italian churchyard, an unpleasant experience which never left him. The switch to television came six years later, and it was throughout the following four decades and more that McLaren came to be seen as the foremost authority in rugby commentary. Butler, who has died in his sleep at the age of 65 during a walking expedition for charity in Peru, was universally admired in the worlds of rugby and journalism. [2] He would later play for Hawick RFC. Craig in particular used to laugh to himself as opposition crowds (usually English) yelled down to him that he was fat. When he hits you, you think the roof has just fallen in. McLaren had wanted to stay at her bedside but she insisted he go and carry out a commentating duty in Edinburgh on the Saturday afternoon. Hence the description of the run-away giraffe. With reference to Moss Keane prime Irish beef? Renowned throughout the sport, his enthusiasm and a memorable turn of phrase endeared him to all rugby fans. [2] He switched to television commentary six years later. Over the. Scotland always won. But taking centre stage will be the recreation of Bill's study. They had 5 grandchildren, three through Linda: Scotland scrum-half and Gloucester player Rory, Morphsuits co-founder and former Scotland 7s player Gregor and a daughter Lindsay. He did so, rushed back to the hospital, but she had died that afternoon while he was on air. Here is McLarens view of the diminutive winger: Despite Battys stature, he was known for being hard as nails. Not just a Scottish rugby legend, Bill McLaren is widely regarded as one of the greatest sports broadcasters of all time. This video contains content from Six Nations Rugby, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds Bill McLaren's 'Best Bits' - Highlights from the Voice of Rugby Bill McLaren. *He kicked that ball like it were 3 pounds o haggis. You can probably tell that McLaren wasnt too impressed with Browns kicking style! Born in Chorley, Lancashire, he played 10 times at Test level and proved an exceptional player for Swansea RFC, for whom he made 242 appearances and skippered in 1976-77. Theres the Quinnell brothers, two well-nourished individuals. Bill believed in sportsmanship - shaking hands, thanking the ref, respect, fun and, of course, competition. The beloved commentator sadly passed away in 2010 but his legacy will live on forever. "We have around 10,000 items of fan mail and we could only find one that had a complaint.". He played in the second row and captained New Zealand eleven times. Now think of those gangly steps when under the influence of a particular illegal substance! They were coached by the fierce disciplinarian Ray Prosser, but Eddie the varsity youth, with his cultured tones and inevitable nickname Bamber, after the University Challenge presenter, fitted in with Pontypools ethos. sidestep 3 men in a phonebox? His sidestep was marvelous, like a shaft of lightning. The 62 year old, who has become a well-known commentator since playing, said: I enjoyed having banter with him before every Wales Scotland match. Edward Thomas Butler, rugby player and sports journalist, born 8 May 1957; died 15 September 2022, Rugby player who won 16 caps for Wales and went on to become an Observer journalist and a leading commentator for the BBC, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. McLarens final commentary was the game between Wales and Scotland at the Millennium Stadium in 2002, when the crowd sang For Hes a Jolly Good Fellow and one Welsh supporter displayed a banner claiming Bill McLaren is Welsh. The Bill McLaren Foundation on Twitter [2], Recognition of his services came in November 2001, when he became the first non-international to be inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame. Having memorised the names, he then liked to watch the players in training, listening to them. He had a twin brother Jim who also played for Scotland and toured with the Lions (New Zealand in 1983). "Give me a wee tug on the sleeve, son, if you want to come in." This is considered one of the greatest tries in the history of the sport. Victor Ubogo who was capped for England 24 times between 1992 and 1999. McLaren was married to Bette, with whom he had two daughters Linda (born 1952) and Janie (born 1954, died 2000). Re carpet slippers hes right. Max Boyce whose home village of Glynneath has played annual matches against McLarens hometown of Hawick for more than 56 years called for a minutes silence at Wales Six Nations clash with Scotland at the Millennium Stadium on February 13. Sandy Ryan wins WBO welterweight world title with victory over Marie Orwhen some of his former pupils, suchas Jim Renwick, Colin Deans orTony Stanger, scored for Scotland. Butler was born on 8 May 1957. It was through his junior reporting with the Hawick Express that he launched himself into a career of commentary, making his national debut for BBC radio in 1953, when Scotland were beaten 12-0 by Wales. It doesnt have to be someone who actually heard Bill. After their divorce, he married Susan Roberts, with whom he had a further three children, Jacob, Nell and Seth. Known as 'the voice of rugby', he retired from commentating in 2002. It was Bennett who ran out of his own 22, side-stepping a string of All Blacks and starting the move that led to a try at the other end of the pitch. Heres another interesting fact about Finlay. BBC Rewind pays tribute to legendary commentator Bill McLaren who became known as "the voice of rugby". Bill McLaren was a legendary commentator on rugby matches. Ruck.co.uk: the leading rugby union news and content network delivering you the latest news, views and all the moves in Rugby Union. Sadly, McLaren, known as 'the voice of rugby' for his brilliant BBC commentaries, had died earlier in the . In McLarens 2005 autobiography he talked frankly about the greatest tragedy of his life: the death of his younger daughter, Janie, from cancer at 46, the three years of agony and the trauma of her final day. I was certain I would be next. He had some tests along the way, especially when his son-in-law, the scrum-half Alan Lawson, or later his grandson in the same position, Rory Lawson, were playing for Scotland. The image would haunt him for the rest of his days. We inspire a new generation with amazing, true, two minute stories about sportsmanship. In the modern defensive game, locks are less likely to make breaks. add Bill McLaren to 'my astro' Biography Scottish rugby union commentator, teacher, journalist and one time rugby union player. As fiercely passionate a Scot as you could wish to meet, McLaren never let nationality cloud his judgement. Enter your email address below and we will email you new posts: 60 Of The Best Great Quotes from Bill McLaren (part 1 of 4) Celebrations, Fisticuffs, Tough Guys, Big Boys and Bills Daughter, Linda, The Triumph Of Human Spirit Wins African Cup Of Nations, 60 Of The Best Great Quotes from Bill McLaren (part 1 of 4) | Great Moments Of Sportsmanship, 60 Of The Best Great Quotes from Bill McLaren - Part 2, 60 Of The Best Great Quotes from the Late Great Bill McLaren (part 3 of 4) | Great Moments Of Sportsmanship, 60 Of The Best Great Quotes from the late great Bill McLaren (part 4 of 4) | Great Moments Of Sportsmanship. Among those to speak were McLaren's grandson Rory Lawson who competed for Scotland in the Calcutta Cup two days later. Who would even think, let alone say, something like this on live TV? As always you can unsubscribe at any time. New on @Playing_Pasts today A DRAGON AMONGST 'LIONS'! This is the greatest Wales rugby team of all time and these are the *He plays like a runaway bullet (description of New Zealand wing Grant Batty). 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They are different. [1] Renowned throughout the sport, his enthusiasm and memorable turn of phrase endeared him to many. He was particularly renowned for his place kicking which won plenty of games for his country. So I think the wall is the correct interpretation. Hes like Bambi on speed. What a description of one of Irelands greatest wingers. Bill Mclaren Quotes Part 3 about Runners (& jinkers); Passing; Kicking and Lineout Jumping (15 x Quotes), Bill Mclaren Quotes Part 4 Line-Out jumping (continued), Weather Conditions, Classic Mclaren, Looking Back (15 x Quotes). As HRH The Princess Royal said in paying tribute to McLaren He has passed on his love for the game and all it represents to everyone he has met or spoken with. Television now rules the rugby broadcaster, but there are still some superb radio commentators. If there was violence, itwas never anything more than "brief shenanigans", and nobody ever kicked a ball badly, but merely made it look abit like one of Bill's own "scruffy nineirons". He was renowned for his jerky sidestep that he executed at high speed. He was just a lovely, lovely man and I was privileged to have worked with him and more importantly to have met him.. Hence, the runaway bullet description. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. (modern). As a rugby player, he was, to borrow one of his phrases, a "tearaway flanker", a forward with the Hawick first XV, hugely promising by all accounts and fanatical from the day his father took him to see the New Zealand All Blacks at Mansfield Park, Hawick. The proud scot also liked to use Scottish phrasing which sometimes needs interpretation for the rest of us. [5][6], He played in a Scotland trial in 1947 and was on the verge of a full international cap before contracting tuberculosis. Bill McLaren was considered by many to be the "voice of rugby" during his long commentating career Bill McLaren's career behind the microphone began with BBC radio in 1953. However, there was a time when he lined up a kick as McLaren was commentating on a Scottish test. 60 Of The Best - Great Quotes from the late great Bill McLaren (part 2 William Pollock McLaren CBE (16 October 1923 - 19 January 2010) was a Scottish rugby union commentator, teacher, journalist and one time rugby player.

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