He has two famous sons-in-law, Linda married former Scotland rugby scrum half Alan Lawson and Janie married horse racing commentator Derek Thompson. On the very few occasions that he got the ball without a defender in sight, he would charge up the field with knees lifted high. [2] Renowned throughout the sport, his enthusiasm and memorable turn of phrase endeared him to many. Known as 'the voice of rugby', he retired from commentating in 2002. Calder was an openside flanker who was known for his abrasive play. Wed have a little side bet of a sixpence on who would win the match and he would inevitably send a sixpence in the post for me a couple of days later.. Rugby lost its true voice on Tuesday when much-loved and respected Scottish commentator Bill McLaren passed away at the age of 86. I think the jink is dying in modern rugby certainly the Welsh are trying to keep it alive lets hope its never lost. However, when it comes to monster kicks, there can be only Welsh rugby player worthy of that giant-sized accolade. But for those who loved McLarens sayings and laughed at the descriptions he dreamt up of the competitors, here are a few famous phrases from the Bill McLaren rugby commentary scrapbook, spoken both on and off air *Its high enough, its long enough AND ITS STRAIGHT ENOUGH. Oct 20 Celebrate what would have been Bill's 100th year with fantastic company & storytelling from @JiffyRugby & @MrAndrewCotter, plus special guests! I dont remember Beaumont as being particularly large. 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. *Ive hardly ever had to pay to get in (the best thing in his view about 50 years of commentary at rugby matches). The legendary commentator, who retired in 2002 after almost 50 years as a broadcaster, died in hospital yesterday morning, aged 86. He was capped 61 times from 1990 to 2000. 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. Murray Watson is going through Bill's vast archive ahead of this autumn's exhibition. Here is McLaren on a tall lock from the amateur era who also happened to be a copper. In his early union career, he toured with the British and Irish Lions to New Zealand aged only 22. William Pollock McLaren, teacher and rugby commentator, born 16 October 1923; died 19 January 2010, BBC sports commentator and 'the voice of rugby union' for nearly 50 years, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Bill McLaren's 'Best Bits' - Highlights from the Voice of Rugby