Scott Hastings obituary

Scott Hastings, Scotland’s most capped centre, played a major role in Scotland’s 1990 grand slam victory over England at Murrayfield. His defensive strength and a tackle from behind on Rory Underwood helped secure Scotland’s finest ever win. Hastings died at 61 from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He was known for a cheerful personality and practical joking during the amateur era, while remaining intensely committed on the field. A notable photograph from the 1993 British and Irish Lions tour shows his shattered cheekbone after a tackle. He and his brother Gavin became the first pair of brothers to appear together in a Lions Test side. Born in Edinburgh, Hastings developed through Watsonians and George Watson’s College, progressing to Edinburgh District by age 21 and debuting for Scotland alongside Gavin.

"Scott Hastings, the most capped centre in the history of Scotland's rugby union side, played a key role in his country's epic 1990 grand slam victory over England at Murrayfield. Scott, whose name will be forever linked with his elder brother Gavin, was a defensive bulwark of the Scottish team and his astonishing tackle from behind that day on Rory Underwood helped secure his country's finest ever victory."

"In many ways Scott, who has died aged 61 of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and Gavin were chalk and cheese. The full-back Gavin was affable enough but quiet and earnest while Scott always had a smile on his face. He was a practical joker in his playing days, the dying era of amateurism. In the end, he once said, I recognise that rugby is still all about fun."

"There is a famous and grisly photograph of him in the aftermath of a defeat by Otago early on the 1993 British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand, his cheekbone shattered by a tackle. His tour ended unhappily four years after Scott and Gavin became the first pair of brothers to appear together in a Lions Test side. In Australia in 1989 Scott's partnership with England's Jeremy Guscott was instrumental in the Lions recovering from going one down in the first Test to win the series."

"Born in Edinburgh, he was one of the four sons of Clifford Hastings, an accountant who played in the back row for the city's Watsonians club and his wife, Isobel. The youngest son, Ewan, played with Scott and Gavin for Watsonians while the eldest, Graeme, emigrated as a young man and played for Victoria state in Australia. The brothers attended George Watson's college, where Scott was coached by a former international, Donald Scott. The young man's talent was evident from an early age."

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