Last October, Andy Irvine, Scotland rugby great and Trustee of the Bill McLaren Foundation, formally opened the Centenary Exhibition in Wilton Park Museum, Hawick.

Commemorating the centenary of the birth of Hawick’s own Voice of Rugby, the exhibition tells the story of Bill’s life from the wee boy breaking a neighbour’s windows with his first rugby ball, through his time as a pupil at Hawick High School to his experience during the war in Italy. Learn about his brave recovery from tuberculosis and his time teaching P.E. in Hawick as well as his career as a journalist, writer and 50 years as a broadcaster with the BBC.

You can see the organised chaos of Bill’s recreated study and hear from the man himself in his last recorded interview about how he prepared for his famous match commentaries. Be amazed, if not mesmerised, by his famous ‘Big Sheets’ before having a go at recording your own commentary on the moment Tony Stanger went over the line to score the winning try in the 1990 Grand Slam. You can also get up close to the number 14 jersey that Tony wore that day!

The Bill McLaren Centenary Exhibition will reopen in March 2024 alongside a new Hawick RFC 150 exhibition, celebrating Hawick RFC’s 150th anniversary.

As Bill McLaren himself might have said, ‘A day at these exhibitions will not be a day wasted!’

This exhibition is a partnership between The Bill McLaren Foundation, Hawick Rugby Football Club and Live Borders with support from SSE Renewables and Scottish Borders Council.