Scotland great Scott Hastings dies at age 61

NEWS: Scotland great Scott Hastings has died at the age of 61 after suffering from cancer, the Scottish Rugby Union announced Sunday.

The centre won 65 caps for Scotland, playing 51 internationals with his fullback brother, Gavin. He was also selected for the British and Irish Lions tours of Australia in 1989 and New Zealand in 1993.

Following his retirement as a player in 1999, Scott Hastings enjoyed a successful career as a rugby broadcaster.

In 2022, Hastings revealed he had been diagnosed with cancer, receiving treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which could not be cured.

He was also known for his charity work in aid of mental health, motor neurone disease, and several other causes.

His children announced that Hastings had died in an Edinburgh hospital.

Scottish Rugby is immensely saddened to learn of the death earlier today of former Scotland and British & Irish Lions centre, Scott Hastings. He was 61. pic.twitter.com/y2zqJmMDNp

— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) May 17, 2026

“Corey and Kerry-Anne Hastings are saddened to inform you that Scott, the Scotland and British & Irish Lions centre, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on the morning of Sunday 17 May,” said a Scottish Rugby Union statement.

“This also marked his late wife Jenny’s birthday, which speaks louder than words that he is safe and with his beloved Jenny. Scott was undergoing cancer treatment and, due to complications, deteriorated extremely quickly.”

The statement added: “Despite every effort by the incredible team at the Western General Hospital ICU [intensive care unit], he passed away peacefully and pain-free.

“At this time, the family ask everyone to give them space to process and manage their energies and ask for their privacy to be respected.”

Ian McGeechan, former Scotland and Lions head coach said: “My association with Scott and his brother Gavin was always special for me because we came into the Scotland set-up, myself as coach, and Scott and Gavin as players, at the same time. We came in together and we grew together.

“I remember Scott on the Lions tours taking an absolute lead. He was so single-minded and determined about winning.

“He was very much your right-hand man, given what he did on the field. I still remember the Grand Slam game against England in 1990. There was his Lions teammate from the previous year, Jerry Guscott, in the England team, but Scott gave nothing away to him whatsoever.

“What ever jersey Scott wore, he just made it better.”

Current Scotland head coach, Gregor Townsend, said: “In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Scott was an iconic figure for Scottish rugby.

“His defensive display in the 1990 Grand Slam victory over England was crucial to that day’s success and he epitomised what it meant to play for Scotland – combining passion, confidence and aggression, whenever he wore the navy blue jersey.

“Like many other schoolboys throughout Scotland at the time, I wanted to emulate Scott’s approach to the game and how he took the game to the opposition.

“A few years later, I was fortunate to play alongside him on a number of occasions for Scotland, as he became our most-capped player.

“His influence on his team-mates was still very strong towards the end of his career as he helped us come very close to winning another Grand Slam game against England at Murrayfield in 1996.

“Scott always brought positivity and energy into everything he did from his playing career then into the past couple of decades as a widely travelled and respected commentator.

“His passing is a huge loss for Scottish rugby, and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family and close friends. Rest in peace, Scott.”