STANDING in the doorway of George Street restaurant Centotre, Gavin Hastings has requested a specific table, under the window. Unfortunately two men are already sitting at it.
Still he's been told they've paid and will be leaving soon. Time passes. "Don't they know who you are?" I joke with the instantly recognisable Scottish rugby legend. "Oh no, I'm not like that, I'd never say that," he says seriously. "We'll just wait.
.."
We do. They don't move. We're ushered to another table. "I'd never behave in that way," he reiterates. "It's just not me. I'm no different to anyone else."
Except, of course, that he is. After all, he is possibly the finest rugby player ever to turn out in a Scottish jersey, who appeared for his country 61 times, captained Scotland and the British Lions, achieved a Grand Slam win, scored a record-breaking 227 points in his World Cup career, and perhaps most memorably was part of the team which carried off the Calcutta Cup after beating the Auld Enemy in 1990.
Yet now at 46 years of age, and currently sporting a Cayman Islands tan, he's actually been a businessman longer than a player; something that is frequently overlooked, somewhat to his chagrin. Chairman of sports marketing and events company Platinum One (Scotland) – he sold his own firm Hastings International to the Ireland-based Platinum two years ago – he has been instrumental in bringing some of the biggest sporting events to Scottish shores. Events such as Barcelona FC's pre-season trip to Edinburgh last month. The Spanish side beat Hibs 6-0, but for Hastings, it's all about the quality of the performance, rather than quantity of goals.
"It's fair to say I've not seen a lot of football," he admits. "But the atmosphere was terrific and Lionel Messi was the star of the show. The most partisan supporters would, of course, want their team to win, but for the majority to be there and see someone like Messi display his skills was a real treat.
"Tickets sales weren't as good as last year. But there's no question that these games capture the imagination of the public. Last year's games between Barcelona and Hearts and then Dundee United were very successful. This year . . . well, it was a Thursday night rather than a weekend because of Hibs' fixtures, and in the intervening period (since last year] Barcelona have also played Celtic and Rangers – but 25,000 people certainly justified taking the match to Murrayfield. For me it was lovely to see football being played there. Without a doubt it's a terrific venue for big games."
Murrayfield has been a second home to Hastings – his first is in Ravelston which he shares with wife Diane and children Adam, 11 and Holly, nine. And he'll certainly be spending a lot more time there in the next week or so as the stadium hosts the world-renowned Golden Oldies rugby festival, which he has been instrumental in bringing to Scotland for the first time.
Around 3000 people from all over the world will take part in the week-long festival, which includes three days of rugby, and a lot of socialising.
"It's going to be great," Gavin grins. "It was in Wellington in 2006 and I went out as part of a delegation when it was officially announced it was coming to Edinburgh. Now I'm the ambassador for the event. A lot of people will come for the festival, but also to visit Scotland, so it will be a great tourism boost.
"The teams range from a couple of people, to about 40-strong, so clearly the smaller 'teams' will have to link up with others to actually play. And the ages range from 35 to over 70. Those who are older will wear specific coloured shorts, so they can't be tackled. Can you imagine a 70-year-old being tackled by a 35-year-old? They'd be killed. By the end of the week it'll just be the fittest left standing. And when the rugby ends the socialising, and by that I mean drinking, but obviously in a socially responsible manner, begins."
So will he be taking part? Pulling on the shorts, and lacing up his boots again? "I'll have a trot around," he grimaces in apparent anticipation of pain to come.
"I'll play for one or two teams. I had a spell in Vale, Colorado, in the mid 80s and there's a team from there coming across so I'll probably turn out for them. It'll be great to see them all again too," he smiles. "They're good, solid citizens.
"But that's why it's really a festival – not a tournament. It's about reawakening the interest of a lost generation of rugby players, those that fall by the wayside when they hit their 30s and children and work commitments take over. And who knows, perhaps it will inspire them to get back involved with rugby, and maybe we'll even see more veterans leagues spring up."
Hastings is never more passionate than when he's talking rugby. He's also chairman of Edinburgh Rugby and is battling to find the club a proper home, because he says Murrayfield is just too big.
"We had a reasonably good season last year and there are a lot of positives to build on. Finding a home is a long term problem. We need to create a demand for tickets, and at the moment people know they can turn up and buy them on the door, because Murrayfield is never going to be full. It's all about attracting more people to watch.
"If we had a 5000-seater stadium it would fill up, and the demand for tickets would be there, and people would have to buy in advance, and there would be more buzz about matches.
"We're working hard with a number of people including the council to find a solution."
One might have been a new sports stadium at Sighthill, which had been proposed by the previous council administration. "I don't know much about that plan but it makes sense to me that if they can sell off the land at Meadowbank and build a state-of-the-art stadium at Sighthill for athletics, rugby and other sports, at very little cost given the land sale, then not doing that is just nuts.
"It's so sad that Meadowbank has fallen into such a state of disrepair that it can no longer host big athletic events. When the athletics used to be on at Meadowbank it was great to go down on a Friday night, because people will come out and watch quality sport, no matter what it is, if they're going to see top sportspeople compete."
It's been 13 years since he competed, but he keeps fit playing golf two or three times a week, and squash through the winter for Watsonians in the lowest division of the Edinburgh and Lothians League – his alma mater George Watson's College still plays a huge part in his life.
"There is a real tie to school, it's one of the best things about schooling in Scotland," he says. "I always enjoyed school, and of course it's where I began playing rugby. My kids are now the fourth generation of my family to go there, and I think that's something special.
"People might say you're a snob if you go to private school, and that's up to them. Edinburgh is very lucky with the schools it has – both private and state. You couldn't say that about other cities in the UK.
"What school taught me, though, was that if you want something you have to work hard and then you have a chance to succeed. Hard work, dedication, a desire to succeed, are all a given. That's the sort of person I am – I'm a man of logic."
Is it logical then for him to still be regarded as Scotland's best ever rugby player given the intervening years? "Well it's very flattering, but I don't think it's true for a minute. It's a long time ago now, though. And that came home to me even more recently when two records which I was very proud of were broken – but I suppose that's what records are there for.
"Chris Paterson has broken my record for highest points scored and I'm delighted for him, he's a wonderful ambassador for Scottish rugby. The other was highest points scored in World Cup history, andJohnny Wilkinson broke that one last year. At least they were both broken by fantastic players, rather than two 'randoms' as my son would say," he laughs.
He adds: "It has been a challenge in my business career, not to lose the rugby tag, but to try and ensure it's not such a prominent part of who I am in business. But then when you trade off your name, then you're never going to shake it, because that's how people know you, so I thought, well I have to use it to my business's advantage. My name is my mantra, I suppose, and I've had to work hard to give my name a certain value. I've come to terms with it, and that's why I took the role with Edinburgh Rugby when it came up."
There are non-rugby sporting events that Hastings is involved in. He helped secure victory for Glasgow's plans to host the Commonwealth Games and for Gleneagles to host the Ryder Cup, both in 2014. But mostly it's about the oval-shaped ball. When he's not working he does some commentating for the BBC, and stands on the sidelines – be they of a football or rugby pitch – to cheer on his son Adam. He's hoping Holly will take up some sport but admits he'd rather she didn't play rugby "but only because as a dad you don't want to see your daughter hurt".
"Life is busy – but good," he says. "I'm a positive person, and I think if you live positively, life will be good to you. Life is what you make it."
GOOD OLD TIMESTHE Golden Oldies sports festivals are all about fun, friendship and fraternity.
Set up in the late-70s by Tom Johnson, one of New Zealand's foremost rugby loose forwards, and Air New Zealand, the first festival was held in 1979 when 15 rugby teams took part. Since then hockey, football, cricket and netball festivals have been added, and World Festivals now take place every two years for each sport.
This year is the 17th rugby festival and the event in Edinburgh takes place from Monday to September 8. It will involve some 3000 people and almost 100 teams. The whole festival will be launched on Edinburgh Castle esplanade, and then the teams will march down the Royal Mile, on to George IV Bridge and then into George Square, where an opening party will be held.
Rugby games will be played on the Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at Murrayfield, Roseburn and Saughton, from 10am to 4.30pm. The Wednesday will see a Highland Fling social occasion held at Musselburgh Racecourse and there will be a Grand Finale dinner for all competitors at Ingliston on the Sunday.
For more information visit www.goldenoldiessports.com
The full article contains 1882 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
