Anyone who knows rugby will know Bill McLaren; The Voice of Rugby.
The Bill McLaren Foundation has just announced plans to establish The Bill McLaren Centre of World Rugby in McLarens home town of Hawick.
Supported by his family, this Charitable Foundation was set up in March 2010, and has three main objectives:
- To develop and promote the sport of rugby union and its values
- To encourage and provide sporting opportunities for young people
- To create an educative centre which will include the Bill McLaren Archive
Plans we’re announced on Wednesday 15 June to create the Bill McLaren Centre of World Rugby. The theme of the Centre will be the story of rugby which will be told as far as possible, in Bill’s voice.
In the words of McLaren’s daughter, Linda Lawson:
“Our focus to date has been on developing the sport of Rugby Union and encouraging sporting opportunities for young people. We’re now delighted to be making progress with our third objective – Dad’s educative centre.
The Centre is a very exciting project, the progress on which has come far faster than we anticipated. This is very much a longer term priority for the Foundation and we’re indebted to Scottish Borders Council for their help and enthusiasm getting the project thus far already.”
With an estimated cost of £3m-£4m, the Foundation intend to have the museum up and running within the next 3 years, with the money coming from a variety of sources including the Foundations own major fundraising initiatives.
rugbystore.co.uk is a huge fan of the Foundation and it’s work to develop and promote rugby around the world. rugbystore in based the Scottish Borders so Bill was a ‘local’ to many of us and a hugely popular figure in the rugby scene. We have great admiration for the Foundation’s work and wish them every success with this Centre.
Click this link to visit the Bill McLaren Foundation website: www.billmclarenfoundation.co.uk
Click here to read the BBC’s story on the Centre of World Rugby development.
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