Scotland
Scottish rugby mourns passing of Hugh McLeod
ESPN Staff
May 13, 2014
Scotland's Hugh McLeod, March 15, 1957
Hugh McLeod in 1957 © PA Photos
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British & Irish Lion Hugh McLeod has died aged 81.

Prop McLeod won 40 caps for Scotland between 1954 and 1962 and established himself as one of Hawick's great players. He toured with the Lions to South Africa in 1955 and played in all six Tests on their trip to New Zealand and Australia four years later. It was a remarkable feat considering he started playing rugby when he was 16.

McLeod later recalled his first Test, saying: "I played for the South a lot of times - I made a lot of friends in the South - and I played in many Scottish trials before I got my first cap. I was in the tank corps at Catterick when I was informed I was in the Scotland side to play against the French in '54 - I went to the army in '53 and came out in '55.

"I'd kind of took the flu when I went to Murrayfield for my first international. My mother came - she followed the rugby a wee bit, but my father didn't follow it a lot. She came round the back of the stand, when we were getting our photos taken, to see us before we went out to play.

"She said afterwards 'You looked like a ghost, I don't know how you played.' But it didn't affect me, I must have got over it. I can't remember an awful lot about the game. It was something new, a step-up, it was bigger and faster."

McLeod was made an OBE in 1962 and was last year inducted into the Scottish Rugby Union's hall of fame.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd

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