Scottish rugby union player (born 1946)
Rugby player
Sir Ian Robert McGeechan , OBE (born 30 October 1946) is a Scottish rugby union player, coach and teacher. Born in Leeds, McGeechan represented Headingley as his only club during a 15-year club career, qualifying for Scotland through his father he played 32 times internationally for Scotland over 7 years and won 8 caps on two tours for the British & Irish Lions . During his playing career he worked as a teacher. Upon retiring from playing McGeechan began coaching, in a career spanning 26 years he coached the most recent Scottish side to win a Grand Slam in the 1990 Five Nations Championship , and won Premiership Rugby & the European Cup with London Wasps in 2008 and 2007. He was head coach on four tours for the British & Irish Lions spanning 1989 to 2009 and was an assistant to the 2005 tour as well.
Early life
McGeechan was born in Leeds to a Glaswegian father who was in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders . He attended West Park County Secondary School and Moor Grange County Secondary School and became Head Boy and trained to be a PE teacher at Carnegie Physical Training College (now part of Leeds Metropolitan University ). Although his family mostly played football , he took to rugby while in school.[ 1]
Playing career
McGeechan played for Headingley and made his debut for Scotland in 1972. He won thirty-two caps, playing at fly-half and centre . He captained Scotland on nine occasions. He toured with the British & Irish Lions in both 1974 and 1977 .
Coaching career
In 1986, McGeechan became the assistant Scotland coach to Derrick Grant and in 1988 he was promoted to coach. In 1990 his team won a Grand Slam victory in the Five Nations Championship . His forwards coach and partner was Jim Telfer .
McGeechan was the British & Irish Lions head coach in 1989 , 1993 , 1997 and 2009 .[ 2] In 2005, he coached the midweek side on the Lions' tour to New Zealand on the invitation of Sir Clive Woodward .[ 2]
In 1994, McGeechan was appointed as Director of Rugby at Northampton and in 1999 replaced Jim Telfer as Scottish Director of Rugby.
McGeechan was appointed Director of Rugby at London Wasps in 2005[ 3] after an unsuccessful and unhappy period as the Scottish Director of Rugby. In his first season of 2005/06 he led Wasps to the Anglo Welsh Cup title, beating Llanelli Scarlets in the final at Twickenham . In his second season, London Wasps claimed the Heineken Cup and in his third season, London Wasps won the Premiership
In February 2010, McGeechan joined the coaching staff at Gloucester as an advisor to Head Coach Bryan Redpath and his coaching team.[ 4] [ 5] but moved to local rivals Bath to take up the post of performance director in June 2010.[ 6]
In 2011, McGeechan took over as the director of rugby at Bath following Steve Meehan's departure.[ 7]
In July 2012, McGeechan was appointed the executive chairman of Leeds Carnegie.[ 8]
In February 2024, McGeechan was brought in as the Director of Rugby at RFU Championship side, Doncaster Knights , and helps Joe Ford with the squad.[ 9]
Coaching statistics
Scotland (1988-1993)
International matches as head coach
Matches (1988–1993)
Matches
Date
Opposition
Venue
Score(Sco.–Opponent)
Competition
Captain
1988
1
19 November
Australia
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
13–32
Autumn internationals
Gary Callander
1989
2
21 January
Wales
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
23–7
1989 Five Nations Championship
Finlay Calder
3
4 February
England
Twickenham , London
12–12
4
4 March
Ireland
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
37–21
5
18 March
France
Parc des Princes , Paris
3–19
6
28 October
Fiji
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
38–17
Fiji tour of Europe
David Sole
7
9 December
Romania
32–0
Autumn internationals
1990
8
3 February
Ireland
Lansdowne Road , Dublin
13–10
1990 Five Nations Championship
David Sole
9
17 February
France
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
21–0
10
3 March
Wales
Arms Park , Cardiff
13–9
11
17 March
England
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
13–7
12
16 June
New Zealand
Carisbrook , Dunedin
16–31
New Zealand test series
13
23 June
Eden Park , Auckland
18–21
14
10 November
Argentina
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
49–3
Argentina tour of Europe
1991
15
19 January
France
Parc des Princes , Paris
9–15
1991 Five Nations Championship
David Sole
16
2 February
Wales
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
32–12
17
16 February
England
Twickenham , London
12–21
18
16 March
Ireland
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
28–25
19
31 August
Romania
Dinamo Stadium , Bucharest
12–18
1991 RWC warm-up
20
5 October
Japan
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
47–9
1991 Rugby World Cup
21
9 October
Zimbabwe
51–12
Peter Dods
22
12 October
Ireland
24–15
David Sole
23
19 October
Samoa
28–6
24
26 October
England
6–9
25
30 October
New Zealand
Arms Park , Cardiff
6–13
1992
26
18 January
England
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
7–25
1992 Five Nations Championship
David Sole
27
15 February
Ireland
Lansdowne Road , Dublin
18–10
28
7 March
France
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
10–6
29
21 March
Wales
Arms Park , Cardiff
12–15
30
13 June
Australia
Sydney Football Stadium , Sydney
12–27
Australia test series
31
21 June
Ballymore Stadium , Brisbane
13–37
1993
32
16 January
Ireland
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
15–3
1993 Five Nations Championship
Gavin Hastings
33
6 February
France
Parc des Princes , Paris
3–11
34
20 February
Wales
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
20–0
35
6 March
England
Twickenham , London
12–26
Record by country
Scotland (2000-2003)
International matches as head coach
Note: World Rankings Column shows the World Ranking Scotland was placed at on the following Monday after each of their matches
Matches (2000–2003)
Matches
Date
Opposition
Venue
Score(Sco.–Opponent)
Competition
Captain
World Ranking
2000
1
5 February
Italy
Stadio Flaminio , Rome
20–34
2000 Six Nations Championship
John Leslie
n/a
2
19 February
Ireland
Lansdowne Road , Dublin
22–44
Bryan Redpath
n/a
3
4 March
France
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
16–28
John Leslie
n/a
4
18 March
Wales
Millennium Stadium , Cardiff
18–26
n/a
5
2 April
England
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
19–13
Andy Nicol
n/a
6
24 June
New Zealand
Carisbrook , Dunedin
20–69
New Zealand test series
n/a
7
1 July
Eden Park , Auckland
14–48
n/a
8
4 November
United States
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
53–6
Autumn internationals
Budge Pountney
n/a
9
11 November
Australia
9–30
n/a
10
18 November
Samoa
31–8
n/a
2001
11
4 February
France
Stade de France , Saint-Denis
6–16
2001 Six Nations Championship
Andy Nicol
n/a
12
17 February
Wales
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
28–28
n/a
13
3 March
England
Twickenham , London
3–43
n/a
14
17 March
Italy
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
23–19
Budge Pountney
n/a
15
22 September
Ireland
32–10
n/a
16
10 November
Tonga
43–20
Autumn internationals
Tom Smith
n/a
17
18 November
Argentina
16–25
n/a
18
24 November
New Zealand
6–37
n/a
2002
19
2 February
England
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
3–29
2002 Six Nations Championship
Budge Pountney
n/a
20
16 February
Italy
Stadio Flaminio , Rome
29–12
Bryan Redpath
n/a
21
2 March
Ireland
Lansdowne Road , Dublin
22–43
n/a
22
23 March
France
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
10–22
n/a
23
6 April
Wales
Millennium Stadium , Cardiff
27–22
n/a
24
15 June
Canada
Thunderbird Stadium , Vancouver
23–26
North America tour
Stuart Grimes
n/a
25
22 June
United States
Boxer Stadium , San Francisco
65–23
n/a
26
9 November
Romania
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
37–10
Autumn internationals
Bryan Redpath
n/a
27
16 November
South Africa
21–6
n/a
28
24 November
Fiji
36–22
n/a
2003
29
16 February
Ireland
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
6–36
2003 Six Nations Championship
Bryan Redpath
n/a
30
23 February
France
Stade de France , Saint-Denis
3–38
n/a
31
8 March
Wales
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
30–22
n/a
32
22 March
England
Twickenham , London
9–40
n/a
33
29 March
Italy
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
33–25
n/a
34
7 June
South Africa
Kings Park Stadium , Durban
25–29
South Africa test series
n/a
35
14 June
Ellis Park Stadium , Johannesburg
19–28
n/a
36
23 August
Italy
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
47–15
2003 RWC warm-up
Scott Murray
n/a
37
30 August
Wales
Millennium Stadium , Cardiff
9–23
n/a
38
6 September
Ireland
Murrayfield Stadium , Edinburgh
10–29
Gordon Bulloch
n/a
39
12 October
Japan
Dairy Farmers Stadium , Townsville , Australia
32–11
2003 Rugby World Cup
Bryan Redpath
10th
40
20 October
United States
Lang Park , Brisbane , Australia
39–15
Gordon Bulloch
10th
41
25 October
France
Telstra Stadium , Sydney , Australia
9–51
Bryan Redpath
10th
42
1 November
Fiji
22–20
10th
43
8 November
Australia
Lang Park , Brisbane , Australia
16–33
9th
Record by country
Teaching career
During his coaching career, McGeechan was also a PE teacher for over two decades.
McGeechan taught sport and geography at Fir Tree Middle School and Moor Grange County Secondary School in Leeds .
Honours
McGeechan was knighted in the 2010 New Year Honours for his services to rugby,[ 10] having previously received an OBE in the 1990 Birthday Honours .[ 11]
As a player
As head coach
Views
In August 2014, McGeechan was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in September's independence referendum .[ 12]
References
Bibliography
Bath, Richard (editor) The Complete Book of Rugby (Seven Oaks, 1997 ISBN 1-86200-013-1 )
McGeechan, Ian Lion Man: The Autobiography (Simon and Schuster, ISBN 1-84737-602-9 )
External links
Forwards Backs Coaching Staff
International National Other