Rugby museum plan for Hawick

PLANS are about to be unveiled for the first Museum of World Rugby in the home town of the late commentator Bill McLaren.

The 4 million project will be led by the Bill McLaren Foundation, which wants to develop the worldwide attraction in Hawick, in the Scottish Borders.

The theme of the museum will be the story of the evolution of the sport, told in large part through the voice of McLaren. He built up a reputation as the most knowledgeable commentator the sport has ever known, winning the respect of players and fans around the world.

He would watch replays for days before big matches and offer unrivalled analysis for international fixtures, which led to him being dubbed the "voice of rugby".

His former employers at BBC Scotland have pledged support to the project by granting free access to its archive of matches on which McLaren commentated. The BBC contribution will supply the backbone of the museum's appeal.

The plans also include an educational resource in the form of a series of lessons to allow children to learn more about rugby, television and the wider skills of commentary.

The Foundation aims to raise 3m-4m from a variety of sources including major funders, gifts, donations and sponsorship. A press conference has been arranged in Hawick this Wednesday to appeal for help with fundraising and to ask for community input in a consultation on the location of the museum.

It is planned to have the museum up and running within the next three years.

The initiative has been welcomed by the Scottish Rugby Union.

McLaren died in Hawick in January last year, aged 86, after a career with the BBC spanning half a century.

The Bill McLaren Foundation was set up following his death with the goals of supporting the development of rugby and its values, and recognising his contribution to the game.