‘Voice of rugby’ laid to rest

HUNDREDS of mourners lined the streets of Hawick yesterday to pay their respects to veteran rugby commentator Bill McLaren.

The man known as the “voice of rugby”, who retired in 2002 after almost 50 years as a broadcaster, died in hospital last week, aged 86.

Around 650 family and friends packed into the Teviot Church in his home town in the Scottish Borders for his funeral, while hundreds more people lined the streets outside to listen to a broadcast of the service.