Former international Gordon Waddell dies aged 75

THE SRU last night announced the death of former international, Gordon Waddell, who was capped 18 times by Scotland.

Born in Glasgow in 1937 and educated at St Mary’s Melrose and Fettes College, Waddell toured twice with the British Lions, played for the Barbarians a dozen times and later in life represented the constituency of Johannesburg North in the South African Parliament for the Progressive Party.

Gordon Herbert Waddell won his 18 caps for Scotland between 1957 and 1962. His first cap came in the Calcutta Cup match at Twickenham and he captained the national side on five occasions.

He was hailed the hero for his performance against Wales in 1962, the first time Scotland had beaten their Celtic rivals in Wales since the 1920s.

He played 20 times for the British Lions in that time, with two Test caps to his name.

Waddell’s first tour with the Lions was hampered by both injury and university exams but he scored seven tries in ten games on the New Zealand leg of the 1959 tour.

His second tour was to South Africa, a place he would later call home, and it was here he won his two Lions test caps.

He was selected for the first and second games of the four-match series with the Springboks, with the Lions drawing the opener before losing the follow up 3-0.

He remains the only Scottish fly-half to be given the call up twice to the Lions.

Waddell followed precisely in his father’s footsteps. Herbert Waddell, a former president of the Barbarians, also played for Scotland and the British Lions at fly-half. The younger Waddell ended his career with Scotland as it had started, against England, but this time in front of a home crowd in a 3-3 draw at Murrayfield.

He relocated to South Africa following the end of his international playing career and nurtured a successful business career alongside political ambitions. He was subsequently elected, in 1974, as a member of the South African Parliament representing the liberal Progressive Party.

He passed away aged 75 on Monday and is survived by his wife, Kathy, and five children.

A spokesman from the SRU last night said: “Scottish Rugby extends its sincere condolences to Gordon’s family and friends.”