Bill McLaren

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Bill McLaren (born 1923) was a Scottish rugby union commentator renowned the world over until his retirement in 2002.

1 Early life
2 Career
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Early life

McLaren was born in Hawick in 1923. In World War two he served in the artillery in Italy.

and grew up to be a talented flanker. Having made the Hawick first XV before the Second World War, he played in a Scotland trial in 1947 and was on the verge of a full international cap when he contracted the tuberculosis which nearly killed him and forced him to give up playing. He spent 19 months in a sanitarium before being given an experimental drug which saved his life.

[edit] Career

McLaren studied Physical Education in Aberdeen, and went on to teach Physical Education in different schools in Hawick right through to 1987, coaching several players who went on to play for Scotland - Jim Renwick, Colin Deans and Tony Stanger.

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.

The switch to television came six years later. 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.

McLaren belongs to the great pantheon of post-war commentators who came through BBC radio to television in its infancy - Murray Walker (motor racing), Peter O'Sullevan (horse racing), Harry Carpenter (boxing and rowing), Dan Maskell (tennis), David Coleman (athletics), Peter Allis (golf) and John Arlott (cricket).