The proud scot also liked to use Scottish phrasing which sometimes needs interpretation for the rest of us. His voice came to represent rugby in the same way Murray Walkers did motor racing and Peter OSullevans horse racing. The legendary fullback was capped 61 times between 1986 and 1995. He was renowned for his turns of phrase. Former Welsh scrum-half Brynmor Williams said though he often found himself playing second fiddle to Gareth Edwards, Mclaren made him feel like an integral part of the Welsh set-up in the 1970s. In November 2001, McLaren became the first non-international to be inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame. He loved the characters in the game. Bill McLaren's career behind the microphone began with BBC radio in 1953. McLaren also featured as a commentator on the video games Jonah Lomu Rugby and EA Rugby 2001, and also did voice work for Telewest Communications. "For the exhibition we will put everything back to where it was left.". All rights reserved. He became more famous once his playing days were over for his work as a broadcaster, journalist and novelist. During the exhibition at Hawick Museum, thousands of previously unseen artefacts and photographs will help tell Bill's story from his early years, through his playing career and into his military service during World War Two. Here is McLaren watching a kicker for Hawick Harlequins who is furious with himself for missing a penalty kick. 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. From next spring, the Bill McLaren 100 exhibition will share Hawick Museum with a display charting Hawick Rugby Club's 150 years. [1] Renowned throughout the sport, his enthusiasm and memorable turn of phrase endeared him to many. Now think of those gangly steps when under the influence of a particular illegal substance! Despite his size, Doddie could be a dynamic player. We showed earlier that McLaren had a ready quip about him and his brother. Dinner plates cant clasp a ball. [2] McLaren was one of many post-war commentators who progressed from commentating on BBC Radio to BBC Television during the infancy of television broadcasting in the UK. Known as 'the voice of rugby', he retired from commentating in 2002. This is unusual (Australias John Eales is the only other one I can think of). There was an incident in a match where Ubogos shorts were ripped down the side. Colin Meads was capped 55 times for the All Blacks from 1957 to 1971. Is climate change killing Australian wine? A statue was unveiled in Wilton Park in Hawick in February 2013 followed in November that year by a bust of McLaren in the main reception area of Murrayfield Stadium. He decided to leave well alone, since it seemed to improve his grip on his clubs. (This usually doesnt end up well for the catcher!). Scottish rugby union player, sports broadcaster & journalist, Scottish rugby commentators and journalists, "Tributes paid to woman behind Hawick's voice of rugby, Bill McLaren, after his widow Bette dies at 93", Vale Bill McLaren, we'll never see your like again, "Book review: Rugby's Greatest Heroes And Entertainers, by Bill McLaren", Bill McLaren: Scotland's legendary voice of rugby mourned across world The Scotsman, "Bill McLaren, the 'voice of rugby', dies aged 86", "Hundreds gather for funeral of Bill McLaren, the voice of rugby", "Characters from centre stage gather again to say last farewell to Bill McLaren", "Thousands gather at Murrayfield to pay tribute to Bill McLaren 'the voice of rugby', "Bill McLaren statue to be unveiled at Murrayfield", "Scottish Rugby Hall of Fame Inductees 2010", "Legends inducted into World Rugby Hall of Fame at Rugby World Cup 2015", Bill McLaren: Legendary 'Voice of Rugby' was a family man above all, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_McLaren&oldid=1124949584, Commanders of the Order of the British Empire, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Sports commentating, sports journalism, rugby player, This page was last edited on 1 December 2022, at 11:21. Welsh fly half Dan Biggar has a lengthy pre-kick ritual of repeatedly twitching and touching his hair as he stares at the ball on the tee. This refers to Springbok Mark Andrews and Scotlands Doddie Weir competing for the ball in the lineout. [2] Renowned throughout the sport, his enthusiasm and memorable turn of phrase endeared him to many.[3]. As well as being awarded an MBE, OBE and CBE, Bill became the first non-international player to be inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame. England was leading with minutes to go, and Gibbs took a pass from his teammate and cut back inside to get over the line. The late great, Bill McLaren was simply the worlds best rugby commentator ever. *Those props are as cunning as a bag o weasels. On Jonah Lomu Its like trying to tackle a snooker table!, Now Im not a hodman, but if I saw Jonah Lomu running at me Id be putting down bricks, Ill tell you. [on Jonah Lomu]. Tell a friend. His sidestep was marvelous, like a shaft of lightning. In this case, the kicker is Peter Brown, who played 27 times for Scotland between 1964 and 73. Bill McLaren died on 19 January 2010 at the age of 86 in his home town of Hawick. 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The great man from Hawick thrilled both radio and television listeners for almost half a century as a national broadcaster before retiring back in 2002. Butler was born on 8 May 1957. For a year short of a full half-century, first on radio and from 1962 on BBC television, Bill's voice washed over rugby union, soothing and harmonious. McLaren began as a junior reporter with the Hawick Express and made his national debut for BBC radio in 1953, when Scotland were beaten 12-0 by Wales. Its like trying to tackle a snooker table. *That one was a bit inebriated just like one of my golf shots (description of a missed goal kick). During a career with the BBC which spanned almost 50 years, McLaren became the most famous and respected commentator in the game. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. Jones, who also now works as a commentator, said: He defined rugby for generations with his commentary and he was such a hard working man because the preparation he put in set the standard for everyone who followed him.. *Hes like a raging bull with a bad head. *Theyll be simply chuffed to bits down at. Bill McLaren followed the likes of Peter OSullevan, John Arlott, Harry Carpenter and Murray Walker into retirement and a generation of BBC commentators had finally fallen silent. He was unbiased, clear . 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. I suppose somebody had to be alongside him, to offer the odd jarring note, but once the game and Bill were in full flow, they were best left to themselves. [2] In 1953, he made his national debut for BBC Radio, covering Scotland's 120 loss to Wales. Some commentators will quickly blabber something innocuous to draw attention away from the incident. One day, drawn by the smell ofdecay to a village cemetery, he rounded a corner and was confronted by a mound of 1,500 corpses. In other words, the first part refers to Hasting pulling up his shorts. Bill Beaumont played in the second row for England 34 times between 1975 and 1982. Re carpet slippers hes right. He was renowned for his jerky sidestep that he executed at high speed. Eddies mother, Margaret (nee Asplen), was a Londoner and later the couple ran a guesthouse in Raglan, Monmouthshire. Later this year the foundation will host a major exhibition to celebrate the centenary of Bill's birth on 16 October 1923. [7]. But his impartiality was never questioned. He was so effective that he displaced Will Carling from the test team. The Yorkshireman, with his permanently peeved tone, and Eddie with an easygoing style which suggested that rugby was not the most important thing in the world, should not have worked, but it did, and the two became great friends over the years. "We have now resurrected all of the furniture that was in there, things like the desk, the chair, the shelves, the typewriter and even the empty Hawick Balls tins he used for pens and paperclips. In his teenage years, McLaren grew up to be a useful flank forward. In this title, Bill McLaren talks poignantly about his entire life, focusing on his 50 years as chief rugby commentator for the BBC. He merely points out that the two brothers were well-fed! Heres a list of great McLaren quotes without any commentary. Something went wrong, please try again later. That teammate was Scott Quinnell. 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I worked with him for a decade, one ofhis many "second voices". Eddie Butler was a rarity in top-class sport. Bill Mclaren would never be so uncouth. We searched and searched for images of the player and came up with a few grainy, jerky frames that stood in stark contrast to Bill's sharp recollections. The 60-year-old retired surgeon, who lives near Cowbridge, said: He was never biased towards Scotland, which was typified by the conversion of John Taylor at Murrayfield in 1971 [to seal a 19-18 victory for Wales]. Keep up to date with the latest stories with our WalesOnline newsletter. In his early union career, he toured with the British and Irish Lions to New Zealand aged only 22. Historians in Hawick are working through thousands of books, videos and clippings in a bid to recreate Bill McLaren's "chaotic" research room. At 63, Meads wasnt particularly tall. *I look at Colin Meads and see a great big sheep farmer who carried the ball in his hands as though it was an orange pip. One of his grandfathers was a brickie in the steelworks in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. But McLaren was delighted and provided his listening audience with helpful commentary as to what was going on. He was known as 'The Voice Of Rugby'. Until his retirement in 2002, he was known as 'the voice of rugby'. Renwick was also a placekicker, although not the usual first-choice kicker for his country. Monmouth, though, knew they had a real talent long before their pupil went to Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, to read French and Spanish (1976-79). [2] He spent 19 months in a sanatorium in East Fortune in East Lothian, where he was given the experimental antibiotic streptomycin, which saved his life;[2] of the five patients given the drug, only two survived. ), He could sidestep 3 men in a telephone box, Hes like a demented ferret up a wee drainpipe., On Scotlands towering Doddie Weir running with the ball, like a run-away giraffe., On Irelands Simon Geoghegan, Irish winger Hes like Bambi on speed., On NZs Grant Batty: He plays like a runaway bullet., On SAs Carel Du Plessis the prince of left wings.. But this quote always comes back to me when a tall and ungainly youngster breaks free. Theres the Quinnell brothers, two well-nourished individuals. The All Blacks that day looked like great prophets of doom. Tackling like a car crash Here is McLaren on Scott Gibbs, a burly Welsh center who switched successfully between rugby league and rugby union. On Victor Ubogus behind England v South Africa. *Theyll be dancing in the streets of Hawick/Selkirk/ tonight. Butler took over from McLaren as the BBCs senior commentator in 2002. Bennett had also played against New Zealand for the Barbarians in 1973. After retirement, McLaren wrote the book Rugby's Great Heroes and Entertainers in 2003. Derek Quinnell played for Wales but this quote refers to two of his sons. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. His novel, The Head of Gonzo Davies (2014), featured a rugby-playing supporter of Welsh independence, a thinly veiled autobiographical work about a back-row forward who has played for Wales but returns to his village in the valleys where the street lights have long gone outside the old rugby clubhouse. Renowned throughout the sport, his enthusiasm and memorable turn of phra Sadly, McLaren, known as 'the voice of rugby' for his brilliant BBC commentaries, had died earlier in the year, but the visit to the Border town rekindled memories of Lawson's youth and gave him the subject matter to lift his side ahead of an encounter against the world champion Springboks. Ive already described Doddie Weir in the previous quote. 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Siege Gun a gem. Butler. It hurt him just before his retirement in 2002 that he was once denied access to an Australian training session. He didnt always get his place on the Welsh team but he toured twice with the British and Irish Lions and captained the 1977 tour to New Zealand. This refers to Finlay Calder, who won 34 caps for Scotland between 1986 and 1991. McLaren studied in Aberdeen and taught PE until 1987, coaching three players who went on to star for Scotland: Jim Renwick, Colin Deans and Tony Stanger. Craig Quinnell was a giant (and I mean giant) lock. With reference to Moss Keane prime Irish beef? There wont be the same amusing phrases, the vivid descriptions of players and locations from the contemporary commentators. I reckon thats why there are so many metatarsal injuries since many boots particularly football boots are so thin they offer no protection whatsoever. (McLaren offering a friend a mint). 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. Brown was a forward who took the place kicks. Here is McLaren on one of the greatest players in the history of the sport: I look at Colin Meads and see a great big sheep farmer who carried the ball in his hands as though it was an orange pip. His nickname was Car Crash for his effect on the opposition ball carrier! He was particularly renowned for his place kicking which won plenty of games for his country. Brown also captained Scotland ten times, including three victories over England. I used to go with my father to see matches at a very early age, the great Hawick heroes including Willie Welsh, Jock Beattie and Jerry Foster, so I had an all-consuming desire to wear the green jersey of Hawick.[4]. McLaren is describing the kicker action. "Give me a wee tug on the sleeve, son, if you want to come in." This article gives you the quotes., who hes referring to, and an explanation. Prosser realised that Butler, with his analytical, calmer approach to the game, could bring something extra to his side, and by 1979 the great Wales coach Carwyn Jones was canvassing for the 21-year-old Butler to be captain of the Wales B team. The beloved commentator sadly passed away in 2010 but his legacy will live on forever. With the cameras trained on his face, the Scotsman yelled out his frustration. (c) Find someone who loves rugbyand send this link as a surprise gift (birthday, Christmas or any time just because you love them). Of course, it was never said quite like he would have said it himself, in his honeyed, Borders burr, tinged with the impishness that suggested that none of this was tobe taken too seriously. Former Welsh international turned pundit and broadcaster Jonathan Davies, 47, was McLarens co-commentator for his final game and said he had grown up listening to McLaren before working alongside him. Im no hod-carrier but I would be laying bricks if he was running at me. Youll find some lists of McLaren quotes that dont clarify who hes talking about. The camera chose to focus on his rear at this moment. About the author Bill McLaren 11 books2 followers They had two daughters, Linda and Janie. 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. There was no audio, but you didnt need to speak Scots to lip-read that he was saying something that rhymed with rucking hell. was described as being like a siege gun.., I recall that Bill M often used the phrase now did ye notice.. when he was getting comment from Beaumont and referred to modern rugby boots as carpet slippers .Brings back such fond memories of watching 5 nations as it was then with my old man..priceless. Which brings us to the next quote. You can probably tell that McLaren wasnt too impressed with Browns kicking style! 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. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Bill McLaren, a gentleman with passion and a rare gift for description. *The All Blacks that day looked like great prophets of doom. We inspire a new generation with amazing, true, two minute stories about sportsmanship. HIS 50 years behind the microphone led to his reputation as "the voice of rugby". You can use our stories in a structured programme. Many of his quips and quotes live on in the fond memories of rugby supporters. By 1983 he was captaining the Wales side while working as a teacher at Cheltenham college, whose Cotswold stone cloisters were a world away from the slag-black surroundings of Pontypool. 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. I dont remember Beaumont as being particularly large. His first commentary was made while recovering from TB, describing table tennis matches for the hospital radio. He would offer us that curled hand in a two-finger shake and a bag of Hawick balls, round brown sweets boiled in peppermint oil. Here is McLaren watching a flanker dropping the ball. It was there that Bill became music. In the modern defensive game, locks are less likely to make breaks. However, this is nothing new. BBC Rewind pays tribute to legendary commentator Bill McLaren who became known as "the voice of rugby". 21K views, 416 likes, 40 loves, 28 comments, 44 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from The Welsh Rugby Union: #WALvENG75: . Rugby for orchestra and full voice, and nobody made a sound quite like Bill McLaren. Anyone on or off Facebook. But taking centre stage will be the recreation of Bill's study. The son of a knitwear salesman, during the second world war Bill found himself in Italy, a second lieutenant in the Royal Artillery. 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