Ian McGeechan

 ( 1946 Births ) 

Sir Ian Robert McGeechan, OBE (born 30 October 1946) is a Scottish rugby union player, coach and teacher. Born in Leeds, McGeechan represented Leeds Tykes as his only club during a 15-year club career, qualifying for Scotland through his father he played 32 times internationally for Scotland over 7 years and won 8 caps on two tours for the British & Irish Lions. During his playing career he worked as a teacher. Upon retiring from playing McGeechan began coaching, in a career spanning 26 years he coached the most recent Scottish side to win a Grand Slam in the 1990 Five Nations Championship, and won Premiership Rugby & the European Cup with Wasps RFC in 2008 and 2007. He was head coach on four tours for the British & Irish Lions spanning 1989 to 2009 and was an assistant to the 2005 tour as well.

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Early life McGeechan was born in Leeds to a Glasgow father who was in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He attended West Park County Secondary School and Moor Grange County Secondary School and became Head Boy and trained to be a PE teacher at Carnegie Physical Training College (now part of Leeds Metropolitan University). Although his family mostly played football, he took to rugby while in school.

Jeff Connor (2025). 9781780572888, Random House. ISBN 9781780572888

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Playing career McGeechan played for Leeds Tykes and made his debut for Scotland in 1972. He won thirty-two caps, playing at fly-half and centre. He captained Scotland on nine occasions. He toured with the British & Irish Lions in both 1974 and 1977.

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Coaching career In 1986, McGeechan became the assistant Scotland coach to Derrick Grant and in 1988 he was promoted to coach. In 1990 his team won a Grand Slam victory in the Five Nations Championship. His forwards coach and partner was Jim Telfer.

McGeechan was the British & Irish Lions head coach in 1989, 1993, 1997 and 2009. In 2005, he coached the midweek side on the Lions' tour to New Zealand on the invitation of Sir Clive Woodward.

In 1994, McGeechan was appointed as Director of Rugby at Northampton and in 1999 replaced Jim Telfer as Scottish Director of Rugby.

McGeechan was appointed Director of Rugby at Wasps RFC in 2005 after an unsuccessful and unhappy period as the Scottish Director of Rugby. In his first season of 2005/06 he led Wasps to the Anglo Welsh Cup title, beating Scarlets in the final at Twickenham. In his second season, London Wasps claimed the Heineken Cup and in his third season, London Wasps won the Premiership

In February 2010, McGeechan joined the coaching staff at Gloucester Rugby as an advisor to Head Coach Bryan Redpath and his coaching team. Geech to advise Gloucester Sky Sports, 11 February 2010 Sir Ian McGeechan to work with Gloucester Rugby Gloucester Rugby, 11 February 2010 but moved to local rivals Bath Rugby to take up the post of performance director in June 2010.

In 2011, McGeechan took over as the director of rugby at Bath following Steve Meehan's departure.

In July 2012, McGeechan was appointed the executive chairman of Leeds Carnegie.

In February 2024, McGeechan was brought in as the Director of Rugby at RFU Championship side, Doncaster Knights, and helps Joe Ford with the squad.

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Coaching statistics

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Scotland (1988-1993)

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International matches as head coach

Gary Callander
Finlay Calder
	12–12
	37–21
	3–19
David Sole
	Autumn internationals
David Sole
	21–0
	13–9
	13–7
	New Zealand test series
		18–21
	Argentina tour of Europe
David Sole
	32–12
	12–21
	28–25
	1991 RWC warm-up
	1991 Rugby World Cup
Peter Dods
David Sole
		28–6
		6–9
		6–13
David Sole
	18–10
	10–6
	12–15
	Australia test series
		13–37
Gavin Hastings
	3–11
	20–0
	12–26

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Record by country

49	3
38	96
62	100
38	17
46	51
135	84
47	9
40	65
44	18
28	6
100	43
51	12

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Scotland (2000-2003)

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International matches as head coach Note: World Rankings Column shows the World Ranking Scotland was placed at on the following Monday after each of their matches

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10th

10th

10th

10th

9th

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Record by country

16	25
25	63
23	26
34	125
58	42
44	155
92	162
152	105
32	11
40	154
37	10
31	8
65	63
43	20
157	44
112	121

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Teaching career During his coaching career, McGeechan was also a PE teacher for over two decades.

McGeechan taught sport and geography at Fir Tree Middle School and Moor Grange County Secondary School in Leeds.

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Personal life In May 2025, McGeechan revealed he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

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Honours McGeechan was Knight Bachelor in the 2010 New Year Honours for his services to rugby, having previously received an OBE in the 1990 Birthday Honours.

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As a player

• Five Nations Championship
• Winner: 1973 (Five-way tie as all teams finished equal on points)
• Runner-up: 1974, 1975
• Calcutta Cup
• Winner: 1974, 1976

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As head coach

• ' (as Assistant coach) '
• Rugby World Cup
• Quarter-finals: 1987
• Five Nations Championship
• Winner: 1986 ( Shared with France )
• Runner-up: 1987 ( equal 2nd with Ireland )
• Calcutta Cup
• Winner: 1986

• Rugby World Cup
• Fourth place : 1991
• Quarter-finals : 2003
• Five/Six Nations Championship
• Winner: 1990
• Grand Slam: 1990
• Runner-up: 1989, 1992, 1993
• Third place: 1991, 2001
• Triple Crown
• Winner: 1990
• Calcutta Cup
• Winner: 1989, 1990, 2000
• Centenary Quaich
• Winner: 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2001

• Northampton Saints
• Premiership Rugby
• Runner-up: 1999
• RFU Championship
• Winner: 1996

• London Wasps
• Premiership Rugby
• Winner: 2008
• Anglo-Welsh Cup
• Winner: 2006
• Heineken Cup
• Winner: 2007

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Views In August 2014, McGeechan was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in September's independence referendum.

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Bibliography

• Bath, Richard (editor) The Complete Book of Rugby (Seven Oaks, 1997 )
• McGeechan, Ian Lion Man: The Autobiography (Simon and Schuster, )

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External links

• Sir Ian McGeechan official website

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