Laureation address: Sir Ian McGeechan
Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science
Laureation by Derek Watson, Quaestor and Factor
Monday 24 June 2019
Vice-Chancellor, it is my privilege to present for the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, Sir Ian McGeechan.
I am immensely proud to stand here today and give this laureation because, for over 20 years, I have had a very treasured picture in my home that celebrates the day when the Scottish Rugby team, coached by Sir Ian, out-thought, out-fought, and out-played England to clinch the Five Nations Championship and Grand Slam in 1990. Since then, Sir Ian has, in my head, been regarded as a legend. Although Sir Ian was born in Leeds in 1946 he describes himself as a ‘Yorkshire-Scot’, on account of the proud and well-known heritage of his father. Sir Ian was educated in Leeds and trained to be a PE teacher at Carnegie Physical Training College, now part of Leeds Beckett University.
After graduating he began his career as a teacher, and it was during this time that he won his first international cap in 1972 for Scotland; he went on to amass 32 caps over the next seven years, during which time he scored 21 points. Arguably the most important of these was the winning points scored against Wales during the 1975 Five Nations which, in front of a record crowd of 104,000, this ultimately denied Wales the Grand Slam. Following on from his playing career, he went on to coach Scotland between 1988 and 1993, and overseeing their famous 1990 victory. He was invited to coach the national team for a second time between 2000 and 2003.
But it was with the British and Irish Lions that Sir Ian’s legendary status was achieved. He was involved in seven tours, first as a player in 1974 and 1977, then as a coach an incredible five times, four of these were as head coach – an achievement which is unprecedented in rugby history.
This was a historic time and Ian’s contributions as a player on the 1974 Lions Tour saw the first ever tour win against South Africa in South Africe. Likewise, the tour victory of 1989 was the first time that a Lions team, having lost their opening match, went on to with the test series. In 1997, when he again led the Lions to South Africa – who at that time were the reigning world champions – the resulting tour victory was only the third time that a touring side had won a series in South Africa.
However, Sir Ian’s status in the world of rugby is not just due to these victories over opposing teams – although that does, of course, help. Sir Ian has shown himself to be a leader and one who believes in having a strategy. This strategy is based on carefully studying and fully understanding not only the strengths and weaknesses of his own players, but also those of the opposition. He uses this knowledge to carefully devise a plan that will give his players the best chance of success.
Sir Ian is, therefore, a man of careful and deliberate thought. The creation of a strategy and, more importantly, the actions required to carry that out are explained to his players in clear and simple words, in a manner that, in the heat of the action, players can enact – confident in the belief that those around them will be following the same meticulous plan. His pre-match speeches were always carefully crafted and delivered in a calm, soft, and gentle tone. His message was a simple one that carried weight: follow the strategy; play hard for yourself, your teammates and those at home; believe in each other and win.
In his time in rugby, at both club and national levels, and with the British and Irish Lions when four nations come together to take on the rest of the world, Sir Ian McGeechan has demonstrated the importance of hard work, dedication, discipline, teamwork, planning and resilience. These are the same values that we should all aspire to in whatever we do.
Vice-Chancellor, in recognition of his major contribution to rugby as both a player and as a national coach, I invite you to confer the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, on Sir Ian McGeechan.
Sir Ian McGeechan's response
Well thank you, Vice-Chancellor and the University for the award and the honour. It's a privilege to be able to be a part of a ceremony such as this, and I genuinely do appreciate it.
I don't know whether I can say, but fellow graduates of St Andrews, congratulations on your achievement. These are quite special moments, and even at my age I can feel a very careful, quiet, buzz going through everybody and the families. You should be proud of what you are and what you have achieved, and I can see that and I saw it last night in some of the bars and restaurants in St Andrews.
May I share just one thought with you? When you achieve something, sometimes it's the point where you look back and appreciate all the things and all the people that have been involved with you, to get you into this hall and onto this stage.
All the key moments in my life, I can put to a person's name. People who went out of their way to allow a youngster and an older man to actually develop and be given opportunities to progress. And as you go through life, to the age I am now I suppose, these people at these key times, more and more I think you'll find as your roots - I certainly do and still look back to look forward. And it's those roots that actually you grow from and you grow with and you continue to grow and create strength. And that strength gives you the wings to fly.
I wish you every success in your lives as you move on now forward, and I hope you enjoy the benefits of good advice, great support, from being with good people, because good people, once found, make the difference. They give you the roots to grow - that's what good people do. They give you the wings to fly - that's what you do.
Thank you Vice-Chancellor.