Obituary: Jock Todd

During his 50-year tenure as a club member, he had seen the highs and lows that club rugby can bring but his hard-work and support for the club he loved never wavered.

As a result, hundreds of young men in his community, from Scotland centurion Ross Ford to countless club regulars, have had the opportunity to play our sport because of his enthusiasm and passion for supporting youth rugby in the Borders.

Having first joined Kelso Rugby Club as a player, he soon recognised his talents were better suited for off-field activities rather than on-the-pitch. From 1968, Jock became fixture secretary of Kelso Harlequins and held almost every role with the club, from kit man through to Chairman and everything in between.

Although he was never President of Kelso Rugby Club, he was recognised for his work and loyal service by being made a life member.

He was a well-known character in the Borders’ rugby community, having previously served as President of the Border semi-junior league on three occasions, and he also acted as a selector for the South U18 squad on multiple occasions.

Jock’s unstinting support of youth rugby was documented in a book about his life called “Jock Todd of Blakelaw”, which was published in 2017. True to his character of being a loyal club servant, he donated the proceeds of the book to his beloved Harlequins.

He also received Scottish Rugby’s Spirit of Rugby award in 2018 for his half a century of service to his club.

Although born at Hoselaw, he moved to Blakelaw Farm when he was three-years-old and had lived and worked there ever since. His hard-work was acknowledged with a variety of long service awards from the Border Union Agricultural Society and Royal Highland Society. He retired in 2008 but still helped with small jobs up until recently.

Jock, who was predeceased by his wife Jocelyn in 2018, had four children – Jackie, Margaret, and the late Ian and Diane.

Scottish Rugby extends its sincere condolences to Jock Todd’s family and friends.