Born on October 16, 1923, in the Borders town of Hawick, Bill McLaren was a talented rugby player who was on the verge of representing his country when tuberculosis ended his playing career - and nearly his life.
It was when he was recovering from his illness that he first tried his hand at what would become his career, commentating on table tennis games in the hospital.
He served with the Royal Artillery in Italy during the Second World War, and later became a teacher, working in schools across Scotland while also progressing his journalism career which started when he worked as a junior reporter with the Hawick Express.
He made his debut for BBC Radio in 1953, moving to television commentary in 1959 and becoming one of the game's most recognisable names - nicknamed 'the voice of rugby'.
He was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2001 and was made an MBE in 1992, an OBE in 1995 and a CBE in 2003 - a year after retiring from broadcasting. He died on January 19, 2010, at the age of 86.
Here are a few of the quotes that made him so popular with rugby players and fans.
2. Bill McLaren on...Doddie Weir
“Doddie Weir, as much help as a lighthouse in the desert.”
3. Bill McLaren on...Scottish player Peter Brown's kicking technique
"“It’s similar to a coo kicking over a milk pail.”
4. Bill McLaren on...Jonah Lomu
“Now I’m not a hod man, but if I saw Jonah Lomu running at me I’d be putting down bricks, I’ll tell you.”