Ray McLoughlin, former Ireland captain and two-time Lions tourist, dies aged 82

McLoughlin, who held the record for Irish caps, is regarded as a visionary and “one of the finest scrum operators to have ever graced the game”

Ray McLoughlin pictured for the 1971 Lions Tour of New Zealand. (Photo by Wackett/Daily Express/Getty Images)

Ray McLoughlin, a former Irish rugby captain, two-time Lions tourist, and one of Connacht’s greatest players, has died aged 82.

The Ballinasloe-native held the record for Irish caps, making 40 as a prop between 1962 and 1975, and captaining his country on eight occasions. He was regarded as a visionary ahead of his time after introducing structured training sessions and instilling strict discipline.