Scotland Six Nations debutant Alec Hepburn played for England but his roots are in the Murrayfield turf

He may have played previously for England but Scotland’s latest debutant Alec Hepburn has roots in the Murrayfield turf.

The prop, who came off the bench in the win over Wales on Saturday and helped steady the ship during a torrid second half, has a complicated back story. Born in Perth, Australia, he moved to England as a teenager and took up rugby. He was picked up by England under-20s, helped them win the Junior World Championship and then graduated to the full squad after a stint back in Australia.

He won six full caps with the Red Rose on his chest but his Test career then stalled. He was part of a successful Exeter Chiefs squad and used to chide his Scottish team-mates, urging the likes of Jonny Gray and Stuart Hogg to remind the Scotland coaching staff that he too was eligible to wear dark blue. He was then laid low by a bout of glandular fever and was out for almost a year. It gave him time to think and when Gregor Townsend made an approach in 2022 the wheels were set in motion. Because Hepburn’s late father was Scottish he was able to swap nationality under the eligibility rule introduced that year which allows a player to switch, provided he has not played international rugby for three years.

But Hepburn’s connections to Scottish rugby go deeper. His great-great uncle, Charles Hepburn, helped fund the original undersoil heating at Murrayfield. The ‘electric blanket’, as it was known, was revolutionary and helped ensure matches went ahead amid the vagaries of the Scottish weather. It cost £10,000 when it was installed in 1959.

CARDIFF, WALES - FEBRUARY 03: Alec Hepburn with family during a Guinness Six Nations match between Wales and Scotland at the Principality Stadium, on February 03, 2024, in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

“My great-great uncle, Charles Hepburn, and another fellow [Herbert Ross] were First World War veterans,” explained the 30-year-old. “They started a whisky company and they employed a lot of ex-servicemen. It must have tasted good – they managed to amass a little bit of money from it and he sold it in 1959 and passed on the proceeds. Some went to Glasgow Zoo, some went to Glasgow University and then some went to the SRU for undersoil heating at Murrayfield. Hopefully I’ll get to meet this guy in another lifetime.”

The whisky produced by his uncle and partner was known as Red Hackle, named after the flower they wore in their regimental headgear. The Scots inside the Principality Stadium at the weekend were doubtless in need of a stiff drink as they watched their side come perilously close to blowing a golden opportunity to win in Cardiff for the first time in 22 years. Having led 27-0, Scotland saw their lead whittled down to a single point by four Welsh second-half tries. Hepburn stepped off the bench in the 61st minute, just as Aaron Wainwright’s converted try had made the score 27-19. Wales would plunder one more, through Alex Mann eight minutes later, but Hepburn helped Scotland wrest back control in the final minutes of a game the visitors eventually won 27-26. His contribution was singled out by Townsend who praised the speed and energy Hepburn and the other replacements brought.

“Speaking personally, I just got stuck into them,” Hepburn said. “There’s a lot of opportunities to have an impact as a prop. Whenever there was a knock-on you can hopefully have an impact at a scrum and really try to take away their momentum. They had massive momentum in that second half which takes a bit of wrestling to get back in our hands.”

His father, George Melvin, died six years ago and while he never had the opportunity to see his son wear dark blue, he was very much in Hepburn’s thoughts on match day.

“I hope he’s proud. He passed away in 2018. I had a moment on Saturday morning where I was reflecting a lot upon that. I know he’s always proud of us but I think this would be a little bit more special wearing a Scotland shirt.

“My father was born in Glasgow – a Rangers fan. Chris Paterson was his favourite player from a rugby perspective, and I got to meet him the other day. His family moved around a bit – his parents took him to Australia, but he moved back to England and I went to live with him there. We always had strong Scottish heritage but we moved around a lot as a family.”

His mother was at the Principality on Saturday after undertaking a marathon journey from her home in Hopetoun, a small town seven hours from Perth, and Hepburn admitted the occasion got to him a little during the anthems.

“But I needed to keep my face! If I thought too much about it, I’d get too emotional just because of the circumstances. Thankfully my mum was able to be here – a lot of my other family weren’t - but I guess you always think about those who aren’t here on days like these.”

Hepburn is thought to be the first player since James Marsh in 1892 to play Test matches for England and Scotland. It wasn’t a decision he took lightly and he expects some “flak” to come his way. He feels he owes a debt of gratitude to England for teaching him the game but is determined to now take this chance with Scotland and honour his father.

“I’d be lying if I wasn’t a bit apprehensive of what other people might think but after being out for so long, I just thought if I ever get the opportunity, I’d love to seize it,” he said. “Gregor gave me that opportunity.

“I never knew what rugby was until I moved to England when I was 14. I only learned to play when I was in England – I wanted to play basketball when I was at home. They taught me how to play rugby and for that I’m grateful but I think a lot of people wouldn’t have known my father was proud Scottish, he got married in his tartan. It’s not just a loose connection, so for me after being out for a while I thought I'd love to prove to myself that I could do it and any flak that came my way, I’d just have to take it.”