Ian McGeechan
Sir Ian Robert McGeechan OBE ( born October 30, 1946 in Leeds, England ) is a former Scottish rugby union player and coach of the Scottish national team. He also coached four times the selection of the British and Irish Lions as a head coach.
Playing career
McGeechan played his entire career for Headingley, one of the oldest Rugby Clubs in England. He gave his debut for Scotland in 1972 against the All Blacks as a connector. In his seven years as a national player, he always alternated between this position and that of the inner three- quarter. He was nominated for the 1974 and 1977 tours of the Lions to South Africa New Zealand respectively. A knee injury put his playing career in 1979 at the age of 33 years to an end.
Coaching career
1987 McGeechan was appointed assistant coach of the Scottish national team coach Derrick Grant and was part of the training team to the first World Cup. A year later he took over the office of Grant. He led Scotland to win the Grand Slam in the Five Nations in 1990 and in the semi-finals at the World Cup in 1991, still the biggest success of the Scottish national team. 1990 Officer of the Order of the British Empire, he was awarded.
In 1993 he finished the first part of his commitment as Scotland manager and, in 1994, the leadership of the English club Northampton Saints. He led the club in the Courage League. After the World Cup 1999 he was again appointed the coach of the Scottish national team.
He is the only coach who has been involved in five tours of the Lions. These were the 1989 Tour in Australia, in 1993 the tour in New Zealand and in 1997 and 2009, the Tour in South Africa. Of this he was the tours in 1989 and 1997, each with two wins and one defeat against Australia or South Africa to win. In the 2005 Tour in New Zealand, he was also part of the coaching staff and was responsible for the unofficial games during the week.
In 2005 he was obliged by the London Wasps as a coach. Under his leadership the club the Anglo -Welsh Cup in 2006, the Heineken Cup in 2007 and won the championship title in the English league in 2008. In 2009 he ended his involvement with the Wasps.
In 2010, Ian McGeechan was beaten for his services to rugby by Queen Elizabeth II knighted and is allowed to call since Sir Ian McGeechan.
Achievements / Title
As a player
- Two tours with the Lions, one of them won (1974 )
As coach
- Four tours with the Lions, which won two (1989, 1997)
- World Cup: Semi-finals 1991
- Five Nations Grand Slam in 1990
- Heineken Cup: Winner 2007
- Guinness Premiership: Champion 2008
- Powergen Cup: Winner 2006