The Late Great Bill McLaren did! Bill McLaren obituary BBC sports commentator and 'the voice of rugby union' for nearly 50 years Bill McLaren in 2002, the year of his retirement Photograph: Huw John / Rex Features Eddie. This week we continue with Big Boys. The beloved commentator sadly passed away in 2010 but his legacy will live . 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. He merely points out that the two brothers were well-fed! Bill played for Combined Services XV in Italy in 1946, Hawick High School XV in 1937 with Bill McLaren, second from right on back row, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. He was particularly offended by a piece in the Western Mail, a paper with little love for Pontypool, comparing him unfavourably with the French captain Jean-Pierre Rives, the warrior flanker with his blood-stained shirt. He loved the characters in the game. [2], McLaren's journalistic career started as a junior reporter with the Hawick Express. His funeral took place on 25 January at Teviot Church in Hawick, followed by a private burial at the town's Wellogate Cemetery after his hearse was applauded through the town of Hawick by hundreds of well-wishers who lined the streets to pay their respects. Re carpet slippers hes right. Some of his finest broadcasting work came in the form of montages and voiceovers during the London Olympics of 2012. All 60 Of The Best quotes are categorised as follows: Celebrations x 1; Fisticuffs x 3; Tough Guys x 5; Big Boys x15; Running x 12; Passing x 1; Kicking x 10; Jumping x 4; Weather x 2; Absolute Classic McLaren x 5; Looking Back x 2 Encouraging students x 1; Sportsmanship x 1. 20 of the best quotes from the Voice of Rugby Bill McLaren, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Newcastle Falcons Kingston Park Stadium Guide, Northampton Saints Franklins Gardens Stadium Guide, LIST | Four more Saracens players could exit at the end of the season, Social media pays tribute to Harlequins legend Chris Robshaw after final home game, Nine things you should NEVER say to a female rugby fan, WATCH: Lengthy ban for vicious tackle on female referee, 15 reasons why children SHOULD play Rugby Union, Giant Wales Prop Gets Trapped In Childrens Playground Seat, Terrible refereeing Stuart Barnes lays into Karl Dickson after controversial red card, Fans find out Lawrence Dallaglios real name in new documentary, REPORTS | Argentina fly-half closes in on Premiership switch, Eight great reasons why you SHOULD let your daughter play rugby, Complete Workhorse Jack Willis Breaks Defensive Record in Heineken Champions Cup, Under 25 Caps Wales Breakout Star To Miss Rugby World Cup As He Plays in England, Thanks for that Jack Nowell exits interview after audacious question, Wales name former England prop in their Rugby World Cup training squad, Final Confirmed: Leinster and La Rochelle to Meet in Champions Cup Deja Vu, 16th Player Red Roses Stars Celebrate Record Womens Rugby Crowd At Grand Slam Triumph, Culture Round WATCH: Super Rugby Sides Celebrate Heritage With Hakas. Many of his quips and quotes live on in the fond memories of rugby supporters. But McLaren was clearly of the opinion that the lock was well-nourished! But taking centre stage will be the recreation of Bill's study. 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. Some commentators will quickly blabber something innocuous to draw attention away from the incident. [12][13][14], On 11 March 2010, thousands of people attended a memorial celebration of Bill McLaren's life held at Murrayfield Stadium in the week leading up to that year's Calcutta Cup match which was played at the stadium. His career included winning the 1995 World Cup. He was the player who won 16 caps for Wales and captained his country on six occasions before retiring from international rugby union aged 27. (This usually doesnt end up well for the catcher!). *His sidestep was marvellous like a shaft of lightning (description of Welsh wing Gerald Davies). Breeks are breeches. But the twins never played on the same Scotland team! McLarens final commentary in Cardiff eight years ago the 2002 Six Nations clash between Wales and Scotland saw the Millennium Stadium crowd sing For Hes a Jolly Good Fellow in his honour. Please do pass the word on so many more people can enjoy the spirit of the late great Bill McLaren. *Tweet, tweet, tweet commentary on Scottish full-back Peter Dods strange run up to a penalty kick. Butler became, more specifically, the voice of Welsh rugby, his mellow tones from those chilly, winter afternoons high in TV gantries and press boxes warming the listener, while his printed words on the game equally delighted readers of the Observer and Guardian. He was a pivotal part of the Pontypool side that was created by Ray Prosser and dominated Welsh club rugby in the late 1970s and early 1980s, captaining the side between 1982 and 1985. 1953 was his first appearance on national radio and he went on . But McLaren isnt too impressed with the flankers ball-handling skills! 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It hurt him just before his retirement in 2002 that he was once denied access to an Australian training session. *Those props are as cunning as a bag o weasels. In other words, the first part refers to Hasting pulling up his shorts. 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With reference to Moss Keane prime Irish beef? The late great, Bill McLaren was simply the world's best rugby commentator ever. Former Wales captain Gwyn Jones, 37, said McLaren was famous for dispensing Hawick balls Scottish butter mint sweets to everyone he met. It troubled him that he was not by her side when she died, but Janie had ordered him to the commentary box. Become an ambassador (looks good on your CV). In November 2001, McLaren became the first non-international to be inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame. Eddie went to Monmouth school, on the border of England and Wales, an institution reluctant to select players for Wales school sides. I thought the telephone box line was about Robert Jones. McLaren was married to Bette, with whom he had two daughters Linda (born 1952) and Janie (born 1954, died 2000). See also my TEDx Talk: How Sportsmanship Can Change The World. Perhaps Gibbs most famous try for his country was the one that secured a Grand Slam against England in 1999. The prop blithely stepped out of his breeks and bent over to put on the pristine pair. No, coo isnt a typo. Bill McLaren followed the likes of Peter O'Sullevan, John Arlott, Harry Carpenter and Murray Walker into retirement and a generation of BBC commentators had finally fallen silent. In 1947 he was back in Hawick and playing in a Scottish trial. You'll see why. Then two through Janie: former Edinburgh and Scotland 7s player Jim Thompson and other son Alex. Tell a friend. The depth of McLarens research became legendary, and he would spend days watching teams train in the week before a match, and then spend nights practising with his own special packet of cards. His nickname was Pine Tree. No one will ever evoke the spirit of Rugby like Bill. His voice was instantly recognisable, and generations of rugby fans grew up listening to a man they believed to be fair, knowledgeable, and a lover of the game. Read about our approach to external linking. Bill believed in sportsmanship - shaking hands, thanking the ref, respect, fun and, of course, competition. He received an OBE, CBE and MBE for services to the sport and combined his work as a broadcaster with that of a PE teacher until 1987. He did so, rushed back to the hospital, but she had died that afternoon while he was on air. 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. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Craig in particular used to laugh to himself as opposition crowds (usually English) yelled down to him that he was fat. Siege Gun a gem. No matter what it was you couldnt wait to hear what he had to say whenever he said that! All rights reserved. England was leading with minutes to go, and Gibbs took a pass from his teammate and cut back inside to get over the line. Known as 'the voice of rugby', he retired from commentating in 2002. His voice was almost operatic in its clarity and range as he described his son-in-law Alan Lawson scoring against England in 1976, when he managed to convey the excitement of the moment without bias, as only he could.

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