Walkinshaw served as chairman and owner of English side Gloucester from 1997 - when he purchased a majority shareholding in the team - until he died after a long battle with cancer in 2010.

He was also chairman of Premier Rugby, the top-flight clubs' umbrella body, between 1998 and 2002 and helped establish stability after a chaotic period for the newly-professional sport. During his four-year stint as chairman, Premiership Rugby introduced the salary cap and the average attendances in the Premiership increased by 33%.

Walkinshaw later led the clubs' team negotiating with the Rugby Football Union over the release of England players, the details of which are now enshrined in an eight-year agreement.

Gloucester never managed to win the Premiership title under Walkinshaw's ownership but they went agonisingly close, finishing top of the regular season table three times only to lose in the play-offs.

In 2003 Gloucester finished 15 points clear at the top only to be beaten by Wasps in the first ever Premiership Grand Final. The Cherry and Whites did win the 2005 European Challenge Cup, beating London Irish 36-34 after extra-time in a thrilling final at The Stoop.

Walkinshaw was also a key figure in the world of motorsport. The Scot drove in Formula Two and touring cars before launching his own team Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR), which twice triumphed at Le Mans. He joined the Benetton team in 1991 and helped recruit designer Ross Brawn and driver Michael Schumacher.

Walkinshaw won a European touring car title for Jaguar in 1984, and the TWR Jaguar cars won at Le Mans in 1988 and 1990. He ran the engineering side of Benetton until 1994, when Schumacher won the world title.

Walkinshaw moved on to run Ligier and then Arrows, where he persuaded world champion Damon Hill to join the team in 1997, although financial problems saw the outfit fold in 2002.