Plans for Bill McLaren museum announced

• Bill McLaren

When the Foundation was launched last year in memory of the 'Voice of Rugby', who died in January, 2010, part of its aims was to create some form of museum-cum-education centre devoted to rugby. Such museums exist in New Zealand, South Africa and at the RFU at Twickenham, but there has been none in Scotland since the new Murrayfield Stadium was built.

As a result thousands of carefully-archived items from Scottish rugby's glorious past, including donated jerseys, boots, balls and trophies, remain encased in boxes. The Bill McLaren Foundation wanted to ensure a centre open to the public that would use his vast library of books, worksheets and other rugby works that contributed to his unique research, but also, alongside an archive of radio and television footage provided free by BBC Scotland and in keeping with McLaren's career as a teacher, present an interactive educational resource to help the sport appeal and inspire to current and future generations.

Plans for what will feature in the 'Centre of World Rugby' are well-advanced, including a telling of 'The Story of Rugby' in McLaren's distinctive voice. However, a suitable venue has still to be found. SBC have stepped in with the suggestion of some historic buildings in Hawick and the Foundation are appealing for Borders people to help identify the best location.

The estimated cost of the project is 3m-4m, raised by the Foundation, and it is intended to have the centre up and running within the next three years.

"Our focus to date has been on developing the sport of Rugby Union and encouraging sporting opportunities for young people. We're now delighted to be making progress with our third objective - Dad's educative centre."

"The Centre is a very exciting project, the progress on which has come far faster than we anticipated. This is very much a longer term priority for the Foundation and we're indebted to Scottish Borders Council for their help and enthusiasm getting the project thus far already."

The centre is being designed to appeal globally with unique footage and McLaren's name expected to attract visitors from across the world.

On council backing, SBC Director of Education and Lifelong Learning Glenn Rodger commented: "It is important that this project goes from strength to strength so we are offering to provide information, advice and support as the Foundation seeks to develop a design for the Centre, prepare a business plan and identify funders.

"As part of the process, we will also be helping investigate potential sites for the centre and a consultation exercise will take place to ask for the views of the community on the options available. This will ensure all possible options are explored and views taken into account."

Alistair Moffat, one of the Foundation directors, added: "Bill McLaren's legacy is in the moving image and his unique ability to describe it. TV can be ephemeral and it ages fast but our plans are to make it timeless and use predominantly Bill's voice to tell the story of world rugby.

"It will be a thriving fast moving montage of pictures telling the history of this sport from the beginning. Bill's wonderful voice has been compared to Tweed, rich textured and absolutely of this place.

"We are grateful for the support we have had so far, in particular BBC Scotland who have granted free access to their archive of matches on which Bill commentated. Their contribution will supply the backbone of the museum's appeal.

"Working together, we can all bring to Scotland and the Borders an attraction that we can be proud of, and one Bill would have been proud of."

More info: www.billmclarenfoundation.co.uk/support