McKenzie to call time on his career at the age of 42

KEVIN McKenzie, the former Scotland hooker, is ready to bow out of rugby following yet another personal triumph.

The 42-year-old will quit on a high after inspiring Falkirk to their sixth promotion in seven years.

Victory over Howe of Fife this weekend will enable the country's most ambitious club to jump to Premier Division Two – having started out five grades below that when McKenzie arrived on the scene.

And McKenzie – who battled back from a potentially crippling neck injury – grinned: "I will have reached a big target, and my body is struggling a bit. Maybe it is trying to tell me that enough is enough."

He added: "When my brother Mark and I joined Falkirk, we set ourselves the goal of helping them reach Premier Two.

"A lot of people thought it was a ridiculous idea, but we proved them wrong through sheer hard work, application and a great deal of belief. The man I would single out is president Alex McQuade, who has been the real driving force behind the elevation.

"The energy and enthusiasm he has shown over the past few years have been remarkable. Not only have the team been performing on the park, great things have been happening off it."