Wrapped in Rugby

My book, or memoir, is mainly a very light hearted look at my rugby union experiences both on and off the field. My stories began in 1958 when I was 10 and a pupil at George Heriot's school in Edinburgh. As I started to recount my early experiences in rugby union lots of other general boyhood, adolescent and later more adult moments came to mind. Some stories have nothing to do with rugby but I thought they might bring a smile to the faces of some people as they may see themselves in similar circumstances. My Rugby stories include my times at Heriot's School, Heriot's Former Pupils Rugby Club, Nottinghamians RFC, Aberdeenshire RFC and Mackie Academy FPRFC in Stonehaven. I was president of Mackie Academy FPRFC twice and in that period I met many famous International players from all of the then Five Nations as they kindly agreed to speak at the club dinners. They include Scottish stars Andy Irvine, Jim Telfer, Jim Aitken, Iain Milne and his brothers Kenny and David. Fran Cotton of England and Gareth Edwards of Wales also graced the Mackie dinners. Jo Maso the famous French Centre also features in the book as I recount an amazing story involving him and Mackie Academy FP's . I was employed as Secretary and General Manager of Heriot's Rugby Club from 1998 to 2004 and in that time I had the privilege of meeting players from all over the world as they trained with their International colleagues at Heriot's school playing fields, Goldenacre. Towards the end of my tenure at Heriot's I was close to much of the turmoil that beset the Scottish Rugby Union and Scottish club rugby. Heriot's were largely responsible for halting a likely meltdown of the Scottish Rugby Union in 2004/2005 and I tell that story at the end of my book. Rugby kicks of the book and closes it too so I have called my memoir Wrapped in Rugby.