{"id":1969,"date":"2026-05-17T17:06:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T17:06:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/?p=1969"},"modified":"2026-05-17T17:06:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T17:06:19","slug":"scotland-rugby-legend-scott-hastings-dies-aged-61","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/?p=1969","title":{"rendered":"Scotland rugby legend Scott Hastings dies aged 61"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"main\">\n<div class=\"hydrate-root sc-1ihz57b-0\" data-component=\"Newsletter\" data-loading=\"lazy\" data-theme-name=\"independent\">\n<div data-theme-wrapper=\"independent\" style=\"display:contents\">\n<aside class=\"sc-y4bm30-0 jwWhkK newsletter-component sc-1ge0fwe-0\" data-newsletter-key=\"receiveInsideSportNews\">\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-2 kcLSBk\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/static-assets\/images\/newsletters\/InsideSport1_1.png\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Inside Sport\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE\"\/><\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-1 inRDZn\">\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-3\">\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-4 hfveGa\">\n<p><h3 class=\"sc-y4bm30-5 sc-y4bm30-6 fvoxRM cLEJmn\">Inside Sport newsletter: Get an expert guide to the biggest moments shaping the world of sport<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"sc-y4bm30-5 sc-y4bm30-8 fvoxRM iTZFOX\">Get our free Inside Sport newsletter<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"sc-y4bm30-5 sc-y4bm30-7 fvoxRM iGYpOF\">Get our free Inside Sport newsletter<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><svg class=\"sc-eaj12q-0 hKcUSR sc-culv3z-0 eifaJK sc-1ix0cah-0 PYnPb sc-y4bm30-10 fUEDPX\"><use href=\"#600f53465147d717\"\/><\/svg><\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-2 kcLSBk sc-y4bm30-9 iQYNfz\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/static-assets\/images\/newsletters\/InsideSport1_1.png\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Inside Sport\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/scotland-rugby\">Scotland<\/a> great Scott Hastings has died at the age of 61 after undergoing treatment for cancer.<\/p>\n<p>One of the greatest Scottish players of all-time, Hastings won 65 caps for his country in the centres in the 1980s and 1990s, touring twice with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/british-and-irish-lions\">British and Irish Lions<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>He featured regularly alongside his elder brother Gavin, and became a popular commentator and pundit for a range of television stations after concluding his playing career with Watsonians in 2000.<\/p>\n<p>His passing on Sunday <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/hastings-edinburgh-western-australia-suicide-b2627140.html\" title=\"Scott Hastings pays tribute to \u2018beautiful\u2019 wife on World Mental Health Day\">came on the birthday of his late wife, Jenny.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cCorey and Kerry-Anne Hastings are saddened to inform you that Scott, the Scotland and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/british-irish-lions\">British &amp; Irish Lions<\/a> centre, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on the morning of Sunday 17 May,\u201d a statement released by Scottish Rugby said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis also marked his late wife Jenny\u2019s birthday, which speaks louder than words that he is safe and with his beloved Jenny. Scott was undergoing cancer treatment and, due to complications, deteriorated extremely quickly. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cDespite every effort by the incredible team at the Western General Hospital ICU, he passed away peacefully and pain-free. At this time, the family ask everyone to give them space to process and manage their energies and ask for their privacy to be respected.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hugely respected within the game both during and after his playing career, Hastings featured 12 times for the Lions on the 1989 and 1993 tours, and also made 13 appearances for the Barbarians.<\/p>\n<p>He remains the most-capped male centre for Scotland of all-time, and helped seal a grand slam with a totemic performance against England in the 1990 Five Nations.<\/p>\n<p>Sir Ian McGeechan, former Scotland and Lions head coach, said: \u201cMy association with Scott and his brother Gavin was always special for me because we came into the Scotland set-up, myself as coach, and Scott and Gavin as players, at the same time. We came in together and we grew together. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI remember Scott on the Lions tours taking an absolute lead. He was so single-minded and determined about winning. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was very much your right-hand man, given what he did on the field. I still remember the Grand Slam game against England in 1990. There was his Lions team-mate from the previous year, Jerry Guscott, in the England team, but Scott gave nothing away to him whatsoever. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhatever jersey Scott wore, he just made it better.\u201d <\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-2 cbpRGD sc-awdjp1-3 image align-center\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cXcwgU\">\n<div data-gallery-length=\"2\" class=\"sc-awdjp1-0 gChawb\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/05\/17\/17\/585540580..\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/05\/17\/17\/585540580..?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/05\/17\/17\/585540580..?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Scott Hastings was a popular figure on and off the pitch\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 YlsWU hgzWpY\">Scott Hastings was a popular figure on and off the pitch<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 gjqsiM\"> <!-- -->(<!-- -->Getty<!-- -->)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Gregor Townsend, a former teammate and now Scotland head coach, added: \u201cIn the late 1980s and early 1990s, Scott was an iconic figure for Scottish rugby. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis defensive display in the 1990 Grand Slam victory over England was crucial to that day\u2019s success and he epitomised what it meant to play for Scotland \u2013 combining passion, confidence and aggression, whenever he wore the navy blue jersey. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cLike many other schoolboys throughout Scotland at the time, I wanted to emulate Scott\u2019s approach to the game and how he took the game to the opposition. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cA few years later, I was fortunate to play alongside him on a number of occasions for Scotland, as he became our most-capped player. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis influence on his team-mates was still very strong towards the end of his career as he helped us come very close to winning another Grand Slam game against England at Murrayfield in 1996. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cScott always brought positivity and energy into everything he did from his playing career then into the past couple of decades as a widely travelled and respected commentator. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis passing is a huge loss for Scottish rugby, and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family and close friends. Rest in peace, Scott.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Inside Sport newsletter: Get an expert guide to the biggest moments shaping the world of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1970,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1628162.jpeg",1200,800,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1628162-150x150.jpeg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1628162-300x200.jpeg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1628162-768x512.jpeg",640,427,true],"large":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1628162-1024x683.jpeg",640,427,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1628162.jpeg",1200,800,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1628162.jpeg",1200,800,false],"covernews-slider-full":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1628162-1115x715.jpeg",1115,715,true],"covernews-slider-center":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1628162-800x500.jpeg",800,500,true],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1628162-1024x683.jpeg",1024,683,true],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1628162-540x340.jpeg",540,340,true],"covernews-medium-square":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1628162-400x250.jpeg",400,250,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/?author=1"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/betreview.net\/?cat=6\" rel=\"category\">Sports<\/a>","tag_info":"Sports","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1969"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1969\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1970"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}