'Immensely sad' day for Scotland

NEWS: Former Scotland and British and Irish Lions fullback Ken Scotland has died at the age of 86, the Scottish Rugby Union announced Sunday.

Scotland made his international rugby union debut in the 1957 Five Nations Championship against France.

The then 20-year-old marked the first of what would be 27 caps for Scotland by landing a drop-goal and a penalty in a 6-0 win at the Stade Colombes in Paris.

Scotland also appeared in all five Tests of the 1959 Lions’ tour of Australia and New Zealand.

A pioneering fullback in his willingness to join the back line for attacking moves, the former Cambridge University captain was named in English giants Leicester’s ‘Team of the Century’ in 1999.

Scottish Rugby said it was “immensely saddened” by Scotland’s death, describing him as “a player ahead of his time, a true trailblazer.”

Rugby great Andy Irvine, one of his successors as Scotland fullback, paid tribute to his “ultimate hero” by adding: “Ken was undoubtedly one of the greatest players ever to grace the rugby field…I was so fortunate to receive personal coaching on full-back play from Ken.

“He had a brilliant rugby brain and such a lovely manner in how he would explain his thoughts and ideas to assist players.”