The Stars O' Rabbie Burns Country

SOCRATES MacSPORRAN – who is Rob Newman to my David Beddeil, here at the Scottish Institute of Sports Psychology – recently selected an XI of the finest gladiators to ever entertain the crowds in the blood-letting sport of Ayrshire Junior Football. Anxious not to be left out, I here offer for rancid criticism my selection of the best Rugby Union players to emerge from God's County.

FITBA may be King when it comes to sport in Ayrshire – well at least when it comes to pulling in fans, but the County has a marvellous reputation in other sports, such as golf, curling and bowls to name but a few.

Rugby Union has never been rated highly locally, however, certainly in this century, Ayr Rugby club has come through to a position where the Millbrae-based outfit is now Scotland's top club side. It is necessary to make that definition – since, even as reigning Scottish Champions, Ayr would admit, they are some way off being able to challenge the two full-time professional clubs, Edinbrugh and Glasgow Warriors.

Ayr has sent a steady stream of players, coaches and back-room staff to the professional ranks, but, Rugby Union in Ayrshire is not a Millbrae monopoly, over the years quite a few Ayrshiremen have gone on to represent Scotland and the British and Irish Lions.

So, what might a Best of Ayrshire Rugby Union team look like. Well, based on my more than 50 years writing about the game, here is my Ayrshire team – The Stars O' Rabbie Burns (Country).

I list the team in 1-23 order, with the forwards numbered 1 to 8, the backs 9 to 15. My selection is:

1. Loose-head Prop: Ian McLauchlan - “Mighty Mouse” or as we refer to him here in Ayrshire: “Wee Fudd” - former Scotland captain, twice a British Lion, scoring the opening try in the 1971 series in New Zealand and a member of The Invincibles, who went unbeaten through South Africa in 1974. Tarbolton's finest, a former pupil of Ayr Academy, has to wear the number 1 jersey. He won 43 Scotland caps, plus 8 for the Lions and, in retirement, he was President of the SRU.

2. Hooker: Pat McArthur - Pat, who attended Prestwick Academy, learned his rugby At the Ayr club, going on to join Glasgow Warriors and winning 6 caps for Scotland. He then returned to Ayr, coaching Ayrshire Bulls in the short-lived Super rugby competition before becoming forwards coach at Millbrae.

3. Tight-head Prop: Jock “Stiffy” McClure – Stiffy was a legend in Ayrshire Rugby, a regular in the Glasgow side in the amateur era, when Ayr was not a senior club. His best years coincided with World War II, but he won 4 war-time caps, awards which were upgraded to full cap status in 1973 as part of the SRU's 150^th anniversary. He was still playing for Ayr in his sixties. He served for many years as Head of PE at Cumnock Academy, before ending his career back at his old school, Ayr Academy.

4. Lock: Bill Cuthbertson - “Gulliver” as he was known due to his travel sickness, played rugby at Marr and Kilmarnock before, after being capped by Scotland, he moved to London and played for Harlequins. In retirement, he coached Rugby at a public school in West Sussex. He won 21 Scotland caps.

5. Lock: Gordon Brown - “Broon From Troon” was a legend in World Rugby, being inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame. Another product of Marr College, he is the youngest son of a former Scotland goalkeeper. Gordon was the only forward to go on all three Lions tours of the 1970s, to Austrtalia and New Zealand in 1971, South Africa in 1974 and New Zealand in 1977. He won 30 caps for Scotlan and 8 for the Lions and in retirment he became one of the game's great after-dinner speakers. After his early death, aged 53, a memorial garden is his memory was opened in Troon.

6. Blind-Side Flanker: Alistair McHarg – Irvine-born “Big Al” locked the Scotland scrum alongside Gordon Brown in many internationals, but, he was perhaps, because of his ability to range around the park, better suited to play 6. Certainly in present-day Rugby, that is where he would be playing. A former pupil of Irvine Royal Academy and a founder member of the Irvine club, he went on to play for West of Scotland, before giving many years of service, as player and coach, to London Scottish. He won 44 caps for Scotland, but, amazingly, he never played for the Lions.

7. Open-side Flanker: Gordon Strachan – From Coylton, Gordon learned his Rugby at Ayr Academy. He was, however, an all-round sportsman, winning medals with Glenafton Athletic, before concentrating on Rugby. He played for Ayr and Jordanhill College, captained the Glasgow District team and won 5 Scotland caps. He then returned to Ayr as Captain and later Head Coach. He had qualified as a PE teacher at Jordanhill College and spent the bulk, of his teaching career as head of PE at Kyle Academy in Ayr.

8. Number Eight: Peter Brown – Gordon's elder brother, Peter learned the game at Marr College, then played for West of Scotland, with whom he won the first of his eventual 27 Scotland caps. He then joined Gala, when his career as a Chartered Accountant took him to the Borders. Here he demonstrated great expertise in Sevens, the short form or Rugby Union. Initgially a lock, he later moved back to number eight, from whence he captained Scotland. His match-winning conversion in the 1971 Calcutta Cup game at Twickenham is the stuff of legend, giving Scotland their first win in London since 1938. He later refereed at a high level and was an international disciplinary commissioner.

9. Scrum-Half: Bryan Gossman – A former pupil of Ardrossan Academy, Bryan played for their FP club, before moving to Kilmarnock and on to West of Scotland. He won three caps for Scotland at stand-off, and would have won more but for the fact his career coincided with that of John Rutherford. However, I have picked him in his original position of scrum-half.

10. Stand-off: Derrick Lee - “Dessie” won 12 Scotland caps out of Watsonians and London Scottish, but, he was very-much an Ayrshireman. He learned the game under Gordon Strachan at Kyle Academy, and was playing for the Ayr first team while still at school, before moving to Watsonians, when he went to university in Edinburgh. He would surely have won more caps, but for some horrendous injuries, which meant he retired from the game at an early age. He could also play full-back.

11. Left-winger: David Shedden – Shedden, from Beith, went to Spiers School, then played for Old Spierians, before going on to spend the bulk of his career with West of Scotland. He was slight, barely 11 stones soaking wet, but, he was quick, sprinter-quick and he tackled like the clap of doom. He was capped 15 times by Scotland during his West days.

12. Inside Centre: Ian Murchie – the second Ardrossan Academical in the team, Murchie was another to move to West of Scotland, with whom he was a regular in the Glasgow side. He was chosen for a Scotland tour to Argentina in 1969, playing in one of the then non-cap internationals. He suffered a bad knee injury, which effectively ended his top-flight career. However, like Stiffy McClure, he was retrospectively capped in 2023, an honour he richly deserved. In retirement, he became one of the top men in the sportswear industry, with Adidas then Le Coq Sportif.

13. Outside Centre: Mark Bennett – the only currently-active player in the team, Cumnock's Marco went from his local club to Ayr, then onto Glasgow. He had a brief spell in France with Clermont Auverge, before returning to Glasgow, then moving along the M8 to Edinburgh. He has won 29 caps for Scotland, but he also played for Scotland Sevens and in 2016 he won an Olympic silver medal as a member of the Great Britain Sevens squad.

14. Right Winger: Derek Stark - “Starkie” has, it is said: “more clubs than Tiger Woods”. He started with local side Kilmarnock, but has also played, among other clubs, for Ayr, Boroughmuir, Melrose and Glasgow Hawks. Described as “A Rolls Royce” for his smooth running style, he won 9 Scotland caps and was one of the original players when the SRU formed the professional Glasgow side. He now works in the events business and, it is said, will attend the opening of an envelope.

15. Full-Back: Niven Rose - “Monty” created a stir when chosen for the full Glasgow District side when still a member of the junior Dalry High School FP club. He then moved on to Kilmarnock, where he was a key member of their “Magnificent Seven” team. Niven was good enough to play for Scotland, at one time he was rated above Andy Irvine, but he was not that bothered about playing for Scotland and as a result, never got beyond B caps.

Modern-day Rugby Union at elite level is a 23-man game, so here is the Ayrshire bench:

16. Back-up hooker: Quinton Dunlop – The man from Maybole had a short-lived dream career as a Scotland cap. He was a late call-up for the 1971 Calcutta Cup game at Twickenham, for his first cap and was part of that iconic Scotland win. A week later, at Murrayfield, he won his second and final cap as Scotland again beat England, in a Centenary International. After those two games, he was yesterday's man. He continued to serve West of Scotland for a time, before ending his career where it had started, back at Ayr.

17. Back-up Loose-head: Gordon Reid – like Ian McLauchlan, Gordy, from Mossblown, learned the game at Ayr Academy, before joining Ayr then being offered a Glasgow contract. He later played for London Irish, before returning to play for Ayrshire Bulls then ending his playing career with Marr. He won 41 Scotland caps during his career.

18. Back-up Tight-head Prop: Jock Craig - “The Auchlin Bull” has been a fixture around Ayr RFC for over 60 years, as player, club administrator, President and Director of Rugby. But, at Cumnock Academy his distaste for Rugby would annoy PE teacher Stiffy McClure no end. Jock was a member of a very-successful Academy school football team, in which his team mates included Tommy Donnelly and Tom Burley, whose sons Simon and Craig would go on to play for Scotland. On leaving school, Jock was persuaded to try Rugby, and he never looked back. In spite of the competition from Ian McLauchlan and Sandy Carmichael, the Scotland props, he had a few games for Glasgow, sat on the bench for Scotland B and played for a Glasgow and Edinburgh XV against the All Blacks. His ability to play on either side of the scrum gets him onto this bench.

19. Back-up Lock: David Gray - “Big Davie”, stood six foot eight in his bare feet and was a very-good lock with Kilmarnock, West of Scotland, Glasgow and Scotland, for whom he won 9 caps. However, he suffered somewhat from comparison with Gordon Brown and Alistair McHarg.

20. Back-up Back Row: David Good – Another Kilmarnock player, David played for his local club, either side of a spell at West of Scotland, during which he represented Glasgow District. He was unfortunate not to gain higher honours, he was a very under-rated player.

21. Back-up Scrum-Half: Sandy Service – Sandy emerged from Merchiston Castle School, straight into the Ayr first team. From there he moved on to West of Scotland, playing for Glasgow and for Scotland B during a lengthy period at Burnbrae. He also started and ran a company specialising in supplying playing kit to clubs.

22. Back-up Threequarter: Steven Munro – the son of a Dunure fisherman, Steven won Scottish Schools honours as a pupil at Ayr Academy, before joining Ayr. However, to win a full Scotland cap, he had to move, to West of Scotland, before returning to play for his home-town club. A centre at school, he was capped as a winger and his versatitily gets him onto the bench, although, it was a toss-up between him and Derek Stark for the starting team.

23. Back-up Threequarter: John Brown – If Derrick Lee was unfortunate with injuries, he had it easy compared to the eldest of the three Brown brothers to have played for Ayr. Injury cost John a full Scotland cap, although he did play for Scotland B. He could play anywhere from scrum-half to full-back and was a deadly place kicker.

Sadly, 8 of the 23 players listed are no longer with us, but, I am convinced these are the pick of the many fine players to have turned out for Ayrshire's Rugby Union clubs.

 I have also selected a three-man coaching team: Campbell Bone and "The Ayatollah" John McHarg, with Brian Gilbert looking after the backs, should keep that lot4 in order.